


3KK: Three Blessed (Traumatic) Events

by crumbcake



Series: Three Kids Klance [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Childbirth, Established Relationship, M/M, Mpreg, Other, Pregnancy, dual reproductive system omega
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-07-23 16:16:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crumbcake/pseuds/crumbcake
Summary: Keith’s labor and delivery experiences. Please check your dignity at the front door. Mpreg I suppose - in my AU most omegas are true hermaphrodites in that biologically they’re equally both male and female although they’re gendered at birth as male or female based on hormone levels tests.





	1. Ch 1: Earth Date 29 Dec 2200

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings/notes: I’m gonna warn you now that Keith shits himself repeatedly in every single chapter (childbirth is blessed but not pretty y’all). Chapter 1 is traumatic. Chapter 2 and 3 are much happier. :) K17 L16, Clara born @ 29 weeks

“Hold on!”

The rattling shook even his teeth. Keith held on to the back of Lance’s seat as well he could and tried not to vomit as he felt his stomach tumble in response to the G forces assaulting his body. He snarled in anger at his own uselessness as he couldn’t focus enough to help. Red was the fastest and most maneuverable among the lions which Lance had barely learned to handle. He needed to help him find an opening. They might not make it.

The lion dove and took a sharp right, overshooting the gap between massive shipwrecks and roughly bouncing off debris, just barely escaping the whizzing shots from the Galra ships laying chase.

“If you can get past that field- the rumor -” Keith yelled, eyeing the screen readouts and overlays and trying to make sense out of them. If he could just concentrate-

“I know! I’m trying, hang on!”

Lance forced Red into a deep dive towards a chunk of metal the size of Black. It grew on the viewscreen at an alarming rate as they accelerated, gaining precious ticks of distance away from their pursuers.  

“There!” Lance shouted just as Keith squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact.

His stomach lurched again as Red careened to the side avoiding the debris at the very last tick. The closest Galra ship slammed into the metal, the force of the impact corkscrewing Red out past the debris field into dark space. Keith felt Lance grab his arm as they spun violently through the imposing darkness that seemed to swallow them whole and spit them out elsewhere. He fought through the dizziness as he tried to make sense of the readouts popping into existence around the cockpit, detailing stark readouts.

Communications were offline as Lance halted the spin they were in. Another red screen flashed, warning that Red was being pulled by a gravitational field.

“Great, now what?!” Groaned Lance. “Where are the ships?? And where are we??”

Keith struggled to get over another wave of nausea and understand the readings. “Red’s not detecting any Galra ships.” He managed. “Or anything at all besides that gravity. It’s like everything disappeared.”

Lance ran sensor diagnostics as the lighting inside the cockpit began to flicker.

“I don’t have full control here. I can feel Red getting weaker on me.” Said Lance tersely. DIagnostics indicated sensors were working properly. “Where are we?” He asked again, “Are we even in space?!” Lance struggled to at least keep the lion steady.

Keith glanced at the dimmed readings and looked back up at the viewscreen that showed pitch black darkness, there were no stars or any hint of visible light. “There’s breathable atmosphere. We’re on a planet or something planet-like anyway.”

The lion’s artificial gravity gave out as Keith was suddenly falling up towards the ceiling, his grip on Lance’s chair keeping him from slamming into the bulkhead.

“Shit! Hold on, hold on!” Lance righted the lion and shot his hand out on the projected readouts panel but it wasn’t responding to his touch and instead powered down. “Shit.” He seemed to hesitate then closed his eyes, concentrating.

“Red’s telling me…”

He trailed off and began maneuvering Red’s navigation levers even as the main viewscreen displayed nothing. “There’s something and it’s like Red is getting drained somehow. I’m gonna try to land before we lose power completely.”

Keith nodded just as another wave of sickness made his stomach lurch. There was no stopping it this time, he turned away from Lance and vomited on the cockpit floor. Keith gagged at the smell as he stared at his enormous belly unable to see the floor from his vantage point.

“Keith-”

“Concentrate on landing.” He said weakly.

Lance did not respond but Keith felt the powered thrusts through the bulkhead floor as they decelerated in silence. The sickening smell of vomit and cooked circuitry along with the to and fro sway of the lion made Keith throw up again. He wiped his mouth in disgust.

The lion at last lost all power just as Lance touched down causing them to drop the last bit of distance and slam roughly onto the unseen terrain.

“Keith, are you okay?!”

They were in complete darkness for a moment before Lance switched on the lighting supplied by his helmet. He struggled to free himself from the cockpit seat buckles and scrambled over to Keith who was curled over a bulkhead, too dizzy to stand fully upright.

“I’m okay.” He moaned. He felt an arm go around his back, a hand settling on his bloated waistline.

“Are you hurt?”

Keith swallowed several times, feeling his mouth water as if he was going to throw up again. “No.” He managed. “We need to get out. They could still be out there and Red’s no good like this-” Also, the _smell_. He couldn’t stand it. It was making him want to vomit again.

Lance pulled away briefly, grabbing the go bags that all the Paladins have kept in their lions ever since the war had grown grim for their side; they’ve been reduced to mostly scattered run and hide skirmishes that chipped away at Galra resources. They needed a big punch and had not managed one yet.

Earlier, Keith had joined Lance on what seemed to be a fairly safe supply run. His heavily pregnant state was a good front for them being ordinary travellers in the Empire but they were discovered on their way back and could not return to the castleship. They caught a glimpse of Black heading their way before the Galra managed to separate Red entirely. The Galra simply outnumbered them.

“Shiro knows we’re in trouble; he had eyes on our trajectory.” Keith tried not to moan as his back pulsed in pain and his stomach lurched with deep hunger pangs. He continued, “And Coran’s the one that mentioned the rumors of a dark planet this way past the old battle ruins. Rescue’s a safe bet if they can get around the Galra.” IF they could find them in this pseudo black hole. “We just need to hang tight.”

“Focus on not dying. Right!” replied Lance. He slung the go bags on his back and forced open an escape hatch causing a steamy rush of air to enter the cockpit. “Yughh.” Keith watched the light make its way back to him and felt Lance wrap his arm around him again. “Can you walk?”

“I’m fine. I was just nauseous.” Keith winced at the smell. “Sorry about that.”

“You can apologize to Red later. Let’s go.”

They made their way out of Red and onto the sweltering terrain. It felt like they were walking into a wet sauna. The darkness was all consuming; a pitch black that gave no hint of sky or stars even though the planet was brimming with life. There were overlapping chirping and hissing sounds along with the distant screech of animal calls. He could feel lush vegetation brushing briefly against him before sliding away.  Whatever Lance’s light shined on looked like oily shadows of leafy plants and appeared to stiffen in shock then retreat.

“Did it have to be a creepazoid doom planet? What if there is a Big Hungry that enjoys the taste of Paladin flesh?! We can’t even see it - we’ll walk straight into Big Hungry’s mouth. Guess there’s nothing more to worry about if digestion is on the menu-” He stiffened as another dark monstrous plant hissed and reeled in its rope-like leaves when he shined his light in its direction.

Lance put himself between the plant and Keith, just in case. “These are my favorite kind of vegetable. They show you exactly how you make them feel. You always know where you stand with emo vegetable plant. Yay vegetable emo plant.” Babbled Lance nervously.

Keith sighed. “Focus Lance. Are you getting any readings?” Meaning the Paladin sensory gear on his helmet. He thought he had seen a dull shine from Lance’s visor.

Lance took a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself. He kept Keith’s hand in his firm grip as he scanned the terrain. “Yes. Biggest critters around are the size of cats. Vegetarians? Lots of poisonous plants. A few rocky overhangs; some close to running water.” He was changing their direction towards their left. “One vargas this way looks decent.”

“Okay.”

His stomach protested again but he could ignore it. Keith would deal with food later; they needed to get to safety first. They trudged slowly through the damp dirt. The stifling humidity and Keith’s uneven waddle slowing their progress. It felt like they were walking through an overheated room stuffed with dark wet wool.

“The light’s not helping, I can’t see anything until it’s too late. I think it’s just making the emo plants nervous.”

“Turn it off then.”

Lance shut off the light, relying solely on his visor overlays. It was unsettling not being able to see but so far Keith hadn’t stumbled over anything. Only Lance’s sweaty hand in his kept Keith oriented.

The hunger pang returned, stronger than before, Keith had to stop for a moment to wince. It had become annoyingly regular.

“Are you okay? Do you need a break?” Asked Lance worriedly.

It took a moment before Keith could respond. “I’m okay. I haven’t eaten anything today.”

“Why not?” Lance fretted. “Here.” Lance guided him onto what felt like a patch of woven tree limbs near the ground which seemed to sink down further in the soil. He clicked on the light to sort through one of the go bags causing the nearby plants to shirk away in hushed silence.

“We need to keep moving.” Keith protested.

“Yeah that’ll be a lot harder if you pass out! Eat this.”

Lance bossing him around annoyed Keith but he had a point. He watched wearily as Lance pulled out a wrapped cartridge of food and broke off a piece, levelling it towards Keith’s mouth.

Keith rolled his eyes and snatched the wrapped cartridge.

”Don’t feed me, I’m not an invalid. You can stop that alpha shit.”

Lance didn’t look like much of an alpha (yet?) but he had all the annoying tendencies of one which was more and more obvious to Keith as his pregnancy progressed. He was just shy of 8 months and he wasn’t sure if he’d make it through without maiming Lance. His nonsense was so stupid.

“I’m just trying to help!”

“Sure.”

Keith grumpily tore off a chunk of the food cartridge and choked it down; happier to concentrate on his annoyance with Lance rather than the unease he felt by the all consuming darkness. The tinny light from Lance’s paladin gear was no match for the planet’s worldwide blackout which felt alive, as if it were sinister and heaving and pressing down on Keith from all sides. He felt like he was wrapped in a shrowl from head to toe, ready for burial.

Perhaps catching the growing stress in his scent, Lance ran his hand down Keith’s back soothingly, massaging his lower back.

“You’re doing great.”

Keith snorted.

Lance offered him a water pouch which he took a lot more gracefully than the food and sipped slowly, feeling slightly better. Keith gave in to a moment of weakness and leaned on Lance while he waited for his stomach to settle. His scent was familiar and very welcome.

“Better?” asked Lance softly.

“Yeah.” Keith sucked in a deep breath and held it. He felt so tired as if his bones were weighing him down. He just needed to get through this - get to makeshift refuge, rest, and figure out the action plan.

“Let’s keep going.”

Lance repackaged the pouch and leftover food, stuffing them back into the go bag and sought out Keith’s clammy hand, helping him back on to his feet. They were both soaking wet from sweat and sticky but when Keith loosened his grip, Lance held on more firmly as if he were afraid of losing that physical touch. That was just fine with Keith.

“All the super creepy shrubs and plants and stuff are actually getting out of the way or squishing themselves as we pass by.”

“More reason to keep your light off.”

“You sure?” Lance asked, sensing his unease.

Not really but it was useless to keep them on. They’re just making themselves an obvious target. “Yeah, turn them off.”

The lights went out plunging them into darkness. Keith focused on Lance’s guiding hand and the slight shine of Lance’s visor.  The lack of sight made the noises surrounding him seem more vivid which wasn’t bad. They were alien but they made sense to him. He could almost pretend he was on a campground on Earth listening to nature during a deep night.

“Let me know if you need a break okay?”

He nodded then realized Lance couldn’t see that and said, “Okay but I should be fine.”

They walked in silence for a short while; the damp heat too oppressive for conversation. The farther they got from Red the better Keith felt about their chances. Red should slowly recover from the power drain and if captured, would not function for anyone but its Paladin. The Galra would search for them but they may be able to buy enough time for a rescue.

The dull pain in his back blossomed into a sharp ache that burst across his waistline and seized his abdomen. The stomach cramps were back and impossible to ignore, forcing Keith to stop and try to endure it.  This cramp was so bad that his awareness narrowed down solely to the pain so he didn’t hear any of Lance’s worried questions.

It felt endless but when it went away, it went away fully. Keith took a few breaths and took stock of himself. Some time during the cramping, Lance had flicked the light back on and had wrapped his arm around Keith’s waist. His free hand was near Keith’s where he had reflexively held his belly.

“Keith, are you back? You with me?” Lance asked desperately.

“What?” Keith replied disoriented for a second. “Yeah.” He breathed.

Lance rubbed his belly gently, “Your belly got hard as a rock.” He said worriedly.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I’ve just been kind of sick all day. Let’s keep going.”

Lance’s expression was dubious but he simply nodded and kept his arm around Keith’s waist as they walked.

Four dobosh later, the ugly pain rekindled, lashing through his back and sides. He gasped as it coursed through him.

Time passed while he suffered. At last the pain went away again.

“Can you hear me?”

“What? Yeah.” Keith breathed.

“We’re almost there, just a little more.” said Lance.

“Okay.”

As they walked, Lance said in a carefully composed voice, “So that last cramp was what - like 5 doboshes from the previous? Which I think was like 5 before that? Careful-” He helped him through a slippery muddy area and continued, “You said you’ve been sick all day, have you been having these cramps the whole time too?”

There was a pattern to his cramps and they were getting longer and more intense each time and have also been ramping up in frequency. Keith stiffened, feeling utter terror as Lance put the pieces together for him, “That’s not.. I’m just 7 months along.”

Lance rubbed his side and gently guided him forward as he had stopped in his tracks. “It’s okay! Shiro is out there looking for us. If we can just hold tight and get an SOS signal out, I’m sure he’ll find us.”

Keith took a deep steadying breath. “Okay.”

“Here we are.” Lance shined his light towards their destination. At first there was nothing to see. Keith could barely make out what looked like overhanging clumps of tree roots, some as wide as his pregnant belly. The smaller roots coiled away from the lights and moved even further away as they approached. Behind the roots, there was a deep recess.

Their go bags had some gear they could setup to mask or deflect their whereabouts. This was an effective hideout.

“Good job.” It was all Keith could get out before another staggering contraction roiled through him. When the pain resided, he was further assaulted by a fresh wave of discomfort. He felt painful gas bubble inside and another sickly round of nausea.

“Okay?” Lance asked quietly as he led him through the tree roots.

Keith swallowed several times and whispered, “Yeah.”

He let Lance lead him deeper inside the recess where there was actually cooling relief from the humidity. Keith sighed indulgently.

“This is the back corner. You think you can hang tight while I set things up? Do you want to sit?”

“No, I’m okay.” He said hurriedly. He had to stay very still; his stomach was turning and he was suddenly afraid he might lose control of his bowels. More sickly churning bubbled along the side of his belly and he shook, hoping that maybe if he held out the sick would reside and go away entirely.

Lance quickly set up several dim auxiliary lanterns which at last let him see their surroundings. The tree roots near the opening were tightly entwined and stirred at the lights but it seemed the lights were far away enough to keep them in place. Lance hastily pulled out a mat, smoothing it out on the ground then pulled out the encrypted SOS beacon, preparing a short message for the beam.

Keith could not hold out any longer. He risked squatting down and picked up a light with trembling fingers then headed for the opening.

“I’ll be back.” He nearly whimpered.

“What -” Lance sputtered, “Keith, where are you going?! You’re in labor!”

“I need to relieve myself okay?!” Keith gasped. “I’ll be right back.” This was terrible enough as it was, he did not want to humiliate himself in front of Lance.

He heard movement behind him then a secondary light flicker nearby. Keith glanced back and realized Lance was following him.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Keith growled.

Lance’s face was pinched with worry. He pressed his lips together for a moment and said flatly, “Sorry but you’re not going out there alone!”

“The whole point of going out there is to get away from you!” Keith was furious. He felt anger and panic and dread at the potential humiliation all at once.

“You’re _not_ going out there alone!” Lance repeated hoarsely.

Keith snarled as he stumbled forward towards the exit. “You can fuck right off, Lance.” He didn’t have time to keep arguing so he kept moving. “Stop following me!” He cried.

“You can hate me all you want but I’m not letting you go out there by yourself while you’re in labor! What if something happens? What if you need help?!”

“God! Just fucking stay here!” Keith demanded. He yanked his arm away when he felt Lance trying to help him. “This alpha shit is really getting-”

“It’s not alpha shit! You’re literally having a baby!  Look, I’ll turn around. It’s super dark, I can’t see anything anyway!”

Keith could cry. They weren’t very far from the entrance and there was no chance that this wasn’t going to happen in front of Lance. Keith shook as he tried to get his pants out of the way, shouting, “Get away! Quiznak.” When Lance tried to help.

He shook them off entirely and barely managed to squat in time, loud burbling gas and liquid stool forcefully exiting his body; the foul smell instantly flooding the surroundings. All right there in front of his alpha boyfriend. It was the most humiliating moment of his life. Keith did not feel any better either and knew another round had to be coming.

He moaned in unbearable humiliation. Lance’s presence stretched out every passing tick; magnified every terrible moment. His stomach lurched again and more waste followed, almost violently expressed from his system as he was hit by a wave of nausea.

Even worse, another contraction seized his abdomen and back. He couldn’t handle any more, Keith thought he felt arms wrap around him as he keeled forward, unable to keep his balance as he got lost in terrible pain. Everything else seized to exist. All he knew was the unbearable throb of his uterus clenching tight as the rest of his lower half ached terribly. The pain even traveled further down to his thighs where he had not been feeling it before. Keith rocked and moaned to himself as he endured.

When the pain dissipated, Keith found himself on his knees, leaning on Lance who was on his knees as well by his side. Lance had an arm around his back and was holding his hand. Keith took deep breaths, grateful for Lance’s comforting scent.

Before Keith could fully get his bearing, he heard a slight pop sound followed immediately by an uncontrollable gush of water from his birthing slit that flooded his thighs.

“Uh.” He said with uncertainty.

“Keith? What?” Lance asked, voice somber and nervous.

“I peed myself?” Keith said in confusion, completely forgetting any embarrassment. “That was different.”

Throughout his pregnancy, he had been dripping wetness whenever he was near Lance but he had never gushed in this way before.

“Different how?”

“I don’t... pee from there.” Keith replied in dismay.

“ _Keith_.” Lance said in a panicked breathless tone and tightened his hold on him, “Your water broke.”

“Oh.”

“Let’s get back.” Keith felt Lance thrust several strips of cloth into his hand. They were from the toiletry bags kept in the go bags. “Here. For cleanup. I won’t look, I promise.” _But I’m not letting you go_ was the obvious unspoken part. It didn’t matter anymore, Keith was absolutely stricken with panic that he was having a baby. Everything else was suddenly trivial. His lips trembled as he hung onto Lance and wiped himself as best he could.

Another contraction seized him and he zoned out again as his world narrowed down to what was happening to his body. When it was over, he insisted on putting his pants back on before they headed back. He let himself be led towards the farthest part of the cavern and watched Lance’s frantic movements.

He felt on the verge of hysteria as Lance rushed to gather towels and the thin emergency sheets together then straightened out the sleeping pad as best he could. Lance stood back up, brushing his hands on his thighs and looking at Keith’s pants as he neared.

“Okay let’s get those off.”

Oh my god. This was happening. Keith was having a baby.

“No, I-” He said in a panic as Lance reached for his trousers.

A contraction hit him, even stronger than any prior, making it impossible to talk. He thought he might’ve been whimpering but he couldn’t tell. He wished everything would just stop and give him a moment to think. When Keith came to, he realized he was back in Lance’s arms.

“Kitten.” Lance was rocking him gently, “Your clothes are in the way. You gotta make room for the baby.”

“I told you to stop calling me that!” He snapped from his perch on Lance’s shoulder, channeling his panic into misdirected anger.

“Sorry, sorry, I won’t do it again!” Lance croaked. He audibly swallowed and sounded like he was trying to be soothing and reasonable when he said, “But we still need to get these off you, okay?”

Keith swallowed the dry knot lodged in his throat and nodded mutely.

He was stuck in a strange planet where enemies might find them. He was surrounded by darkness and alone except for Lance. And he was having a baby. Silent tears welled in his eyes and he wiped at them furiously as Lance hurriedly tugged his pants off. He helped him down onto the sleeping mat where Keith instinctively curled on his side and refused to budge from there. The few vids he bothered to watch (Lance asked him to watch with him) showed most omegas in this position during labor at one point or another. Now he knew why.

Lance lunged for the SOS beacon then scooted close to Keith, saying, “I need to get this signal out. But I’m right here okay? We’re gonna get through this!”

Another contraction hit but this time his body compelled him to push. He felt awful pressure in his rectal area as he hiked his leg up and pushed. He was afraid he would lose control of his bowels again but there was no way he could stop himself from pushing. He _needed_ to push. He pushed hard, his body trembling from the exertion.

“Two doboshes apart!” He heard Lance say and looked up at him when the contraction ebbed. He was using the read out display from the beacon to keep time.

Lance had taken his hand at some point. “You can do this.”  He said, determined. Keith squeezed his hand and asked desperately, “Is it coming? Can you see anything?”

It took a moment for Lance to steel himself. He grabbed a lantern and scooted further down, gently tucking his hand under Keith’s knee, spreading his thigh wide as he peeked between his legs.

“I don’t see anything.”

Another contraction began.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to hold your breath. Can you breathe through it, Keith? Please breathe.”

Keith did not notice him or his words as the push urge started up again. Keith pushed.

And he pushed. On and on.

Every two doboshes he was pushing.

He pushed thirty different times during the first varga and no sign of baby. Nothing was happening except awful pain and growing exhaustion.

Two vargas passed by.

Then six.

Twelve.

Keith’s world had narrowed down to relentless pain and complete exhaustion. He was in and out of awareness, catching glimpses of Lance’s worried expression. Sometimes his mouth was moving or he felt his hand on his face or cleaning him off down there but none of it truly registered. His life was endless pushing and contractions. Nothing mattered anymore; he was just tired.

Keith had a brief moment of clarity. “How long?” He asked weakly.

“Keith! Twenty six vargas.” Lance sounded like he was crying. “Stay with me.” He sobbed. “Just hang on. Help is coming.”

“Did I have the baby?” He whispered, he didn’t have the energy to open his eyes. He thought he might be sprawled in Lance’s arms.

“No.” Lance’s face was buried in the crook of his neck. “Just hang on. _Please_.”

“Shiro..” He would know what to do. He could help them get through this living hell.

He desperately wished for his mentor. He always knew how to make things right. But maybe it was too late. Keith didn’t think he could move anymore. The contractions and everything else was fading away. Life was suddenly slowing down and losing meaning.

“Could you get Shiro?”

More time passed. Pain punctuated by nothingness. There may have been some commotion around them. Maybe their enemies did catch them after all. Bright lights flooded the surroundings causing Keith to wince; he opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of what might have been Shiro struggling with Lance, along with strangers filling his line of vision.

Some sort of breathing mask was placed around his mouth and nose. A medical dermal injection was dispensed on his neck which was like a shot of adrenaline. Keith gasped. Life suddenly kicking back into gear for him. The strangers around him were talking in a lilting alien language as they appeared to prepare the area directly surrounding him with unfamiliar equipment. Keith blinked a few times and tried to find Shiro and Lance among the chaos.

He spotted them huddled close together on the far side of the recess. Shiro had an arm around Lance who was pale; his eyes swollen from crying.

“Lance.” The mask muffled Keith’s voice.

Keith honestly didn’t think he was going to make it and thought this was his last chance to try and say goodbye. _I’m sorry._ He tried to convey his apology for dying and for losing the baby too. He wanted to say a thousand things.

“Keith!” Lance bawled and tore away from Shiro’s grip.

“Lance, wait! Give them room to work!”

“No, this is good.” One of the strangers spoke calmly in a heavy alien accent and ushered Lance towards Keith. “Come. He needs you here on your knees. There is life potential for the unborn.”

Keith noticed for the first time that they had stuck pronged devices on his sides that pinched his skin. A projected screen was scrolling diagnostics in an alien language next to him. Several long spidery hands pulled him up to a seated position then turned him so he was kneeling in front of Lance who wrapped his arms around his upper torso, supporting Keith as he couldn’t hold his own weight up without help.

Lance was kissing any part of Keith he could reach. “I love you. Hang on. Please hang on.” He whispered.

Their rescuers held tightly to Keith, they seemed to be bracing him and themselves, like they were waiting for something wild to happen.

“This will cause moderate trauma to you but will not hurt the unborn. We must hurry.”

The devices on his sides hummed to life then seemed to lock on to his pelvis and instantly shatter it. His screams pierced the darkness, all the ambient noises nearby seemed to hush as if stunned by the unfamiliar cry. The shape and texture of Keith’s pelvis was changing; it felt like rigid bone was crackling and transforming into a soft cartilage. Keith screamed in utter agony; body fighting the hands holding him as he tried to get away from the molten fire inside him.  

But something inside dislodged. They slid a cool metal just inside his birthing slit which hummed to life. Keith dropped forward on Lance as he began to cry despondently, “Please no, no.” He didn’t know what was coming but he begged for mercy as his rescuers felt more like his torturers. Lance was squeezing him tight in silence.

It turned out that the metal wasn’t terrible. It was like a tractoring beam that anchored onto his unborn child. One of his rescuers placed her hand over his birthing slit, not actually touching but close enough to engage the metal which locked on to her as well.

She carefully drew her hand away which towed the metal and the baby down through Keith’s birth canal.

“Almost over.” She said soothingly. “One last pain. Then we can subdue further hurt. It begins now.”

His birthing slit was forced to spread impossibly wide; much more than he had ever experienced. The baby was crowning, causing a ring of fire as his birthing slit stretched and tore.

Seconds later, the rest of the baby slipped through.

Their baby at last was born.

Peculiar alien voices, Lance’s trembling, and his scent were the last things Keith noticed before he passed out.

\---

The first thing he was consciously aware of was the quiet hum of a healing chamber. It was steady and a sign that he had survived. Keith wet his parched lips and swallowed the dryness in his throat. He couldn’t feel his body at all; it was as if he were simply a consciousness being reeled back into reality.  

‘“Keith?” Lance’s voice was gentle and quiet. “The readings say you’re conscious. Can you hear me, Kitten?”  

Keith turned towards Lance’s voice and struggled to open his eyes. His eyes fluttered open and he stared blankly at the metal of the healing pod. He blinked a few times, his eyes refocusing to just outside the pod where Lance was sitting; dressed in borrowed clothes and watching him intently.  He had what looked like an ancient telephone receiver held to his ear.

“Yeah,” Keith whispered hoarsely. “The baby?”

Lance smiled, tearing up. He wiped his eyes with his forearm. “Our baby is _alive_ but in full stasis.” Lance took a deep breath and continued shakily, “She suffocated during delivery but they resuscitated her and  stabilized her. They’ve done everything they can do at this point. They think she’ll be fine if we can get her to an Altean sleep pod in time. That’ll reverse the trauma she suffered if we hurry. The castle can’t come to us right now but Shiro left two quintants ago so he should be back real soon with the sleep pods.”

Keith wasn’t sure how he felt about any of that. He stared at Lance as he mulled his words.

“Do you remember what happened?”

Did he? Keith had flashes of pushing and hands bracing him. “I think so. It’s in and out.”

Lance nodded.

“Where are we?” Keith asked apprehensively. “And who are ‘they’?”

“We are with allies that Shiro brought along with him when he rescued us. We’re in the maternity ward’s intensive care of a medical rescue ship.“

Keith nodded, then hesitated and asked quietly, “She?”

Lance smiled and laughed happily. “Yeah. She’s an alpha girl! Forty four point two ounces. Fourteen point six inches. At least that’s what I got when I tried to convert their measurements.”

Keith nodded again and swallowed. “How long was I out?”

“Two quintants since rescue. You’re in partial stasis.”

“Okay.”

’Do you want to see the baby?”

He wasn’t sure. Keith was afraid of what he would see. He nodded awkwardly.

Lance smiled and accessed a control screen near the healing pod. A curved screen materialized along the glass above Keith.

Their baby was bundled up in knitted blankets and was wearing a knit hat. She was unnaturally still due to the stasis.

She was so tiny. Vulnerable.

Keith didn’t realize he was reaching out towards the screen until he felt the glass underneath his fingertips. He watched her in wonder, unsure if he was feeling the right things. Mostly he felt scared of this little being..and felt vaguely like a failure.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Lance asked.

Is she? “Yeah.” He mumbled and looked away.

“How do you feel?”

Keith frowned. He subconsciously tried to breathe in Lance’s scent which was how he realized that he didn’t smell anything at all, not even his own scent which was Incredibly unsettling as there were always scents. He needed to smell something and looked over at Lance but stayed silent, unsure how to ask for something so desperately needy of him. Keith felt this ever growing gulf between them.

“Okay.” He tried to ignore the lack of scent as best he could. “I can’t feel much.”

Keith tried shifting his bottom half but could only manage to wiggle a toe.

“What went wrong?” He asked idly.

“Just about everything.”

“I mean-”

“I know.  The baby didn’t fit your pelvis and got stuck. You wouldn’t have been able to push her out no matter how much you tried. You were in labor too long.” Lance swallowed, looking haunted. “You both almost died.”

“What’s my injuries?”

Lance hesitated and said worriedly, “Keith, you should rest. Focus on healing.”

“Tell me.” Keith was too tired to push Lance, instead he pleaded with him “Please.” Lance’s eyes went round as he hesitated but then relented. That was a much more favorable reaction then the usual arm twisting Keith did. He’ll remember that.

Lance swallowed, “Heavy bleeding.” He recalled, “Severe perineal laceration. Bladder and rectum trauma. Infection. Pelvic trauma from the device they put on you.” He sighed, “Most everything they could treat but you need some time in the sleep pod too for the infection and for better healing to avoid any long term effects.”

Keith was drifting as Lance spoke. He was getting very drowsy.

“Tired.” He sighed.

“Then rest. You deserve it.”

Keith slept.

\---

The next time he truly woke, Keith was back on familiar grounds, propped on pillows and comforting blankets. He remembered vaguely being guided out of a sleeping pod and onto his own bed at the castle.

He looked around and stiffened when he discovered Lance quietly pacing nearby with a small bundle in his arms. Their eyes met as Lance broke out into a huge smile.

He whispered cheerfully at his daughter, “Look who’s finally up! Do you want to meet mami?”

Mami? That was him, wasn’t it? He was somebody’s mother. Keith paled and panicked as Lance got close. He wasn’t ready.

“Do you want to name her?” Keith blurted; hoping that would stop his advance. He had avoided any conversations on names.

Lance paused and smiled brightly at Keith, clearly touched. “Me? Um.” He laughed, his eyes warm and tender as he rocked his child. “I was kind of thinking Clara.” Keith felt a growing knot in his throat as he watched how very engrossed Lance was with their baby. This was a whole side of Lance he hadn’t known existed. Guileless. Content.

“What do you think?”

Keith nodded.

“My Clara.” Lance finished in a whisper to himself and laughed again.

Before Keith could stop him, Lance gently placed the baby on his chest. “Support her neck like this.”

Keith was terrified. He froze. She weighed nothing at all and was wide awake. Her tiny little face looked familiar somehow. Lance helped him settle her in his arms. Keith looked down at his baby and was horrified to feel nothing, maybe fear, inadequacy.

She seemed fascinated by his mouth when she wasn’t going cross-eyed.

“Is she- is that normal?”

Lance laughed again. “Yeah.”

“Oh.” Keith said blankly, he felt so hollow. He was sure he was supposed to feel something more for his baby. A sense of guilt overwhelmed him. Maybe he was defective.

This was _exactly_ what he was afraid of. No maternal instincts.  

“She’s like the best baby ever, right?”

Keith kept his eyes on her and nodded for Lance’s sake. What’s the difference between her and any other baby? Except maybe her baby scent was nice. He was already letting his child down. He glanced up at Lance who was sitting by him on the bed, looking absolutely smitten. Maybe Lance could love Clara enough for both of them.

Keith bit his lip pensively as he gently slid his finger down Clara’s soft cheek.

His grip tightened when Lance reached for her but it turned out that he was only reaching so he could pet her soft hair.


	2. Ch 2a: 2209

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance hesitated, struggling with himself then blurted, “You didn’t actually answer my question!”
> 
> “Yeah Lance, I’m fucking everyone in Logistics!” Keith burst. The department consisted entirely of Bibobis. “They love it when my hair shines you fucker! I hope your fucking training goes well you piece of shit!!” Keith said and stormed out of their bedroom to start the quintant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The next chapter will be actual childbirth. This one was supposed to be just some brief fluff before the main event and it became its own full chapter. Warnings? Ermm.. very strong maternal feelings from Keith and there is some sex in this chapter.

The alliance began to call the planet the ex-Paladins resided on ‘Guardian’ which was just as good a name as any. It made sense since they have essentially served as guardians of the alliance for over a deca-phoeb. The Galra civil war that consumed the universe had reached a real end though skirmishes still arose in far flung colonies. Tenuous peace was solidifying to something real and stable. 

The lions sensed a change in the universe as they had refused the Paladins soon after they had settled on the planet, effectively retiring them. The Paladins were shaped by an old war and a new era was coming that required a different set of strengths. Keith’s last flight piloting Black felt different; celebratory and like a fond goodbye, a last lap with a dear friend. None of them were surprised when the lions stopped responding to them. The psychic connection faded with each passing quintant. 

What was once a barren planet save for Galra military barracks was now their central command for peace and reconstruction. People from around the universe flocked to Guardian and created newly found communities. Keith’s role shifted from Paladin leader to coordinating resources to training new recruits for peacekeeping. The existential fight was truly over meaning Keith and Lance could at last put their family first.

Which meant they were done. 

Their daughter was eight going on nine and they now had a chance to give her some sense of stability, away from war. They would stay on for two additional phoebs but then they would leave the barracks for a carefully selected alliance planet that they had agreed was better suited for civilian life. And if the peace continued, and depending on how things went for Clara, they hoped to one quintant return to Earth. At least Lance did and Keith did not mind.

Keith felt this incessant tickle in the shell of his ears when he watched his daughter and bondmate. He would smile to himself and let his fingers fidget, a physical release for the overwhelming warmth he felt as he watched Lance play with their daughter. Lance was born to be a father, he adored Clara since the moment he laid eyes on her. Child-rearing came naturally to him; whereas it came later for Keith.

Lately, Keith felt this tug in the pit of his stomach, a yearning flutter that grew stronger each time he spent time with his family. Kids were not on his mind back when he got pregnant but here he was, nine years later aching for it. Clara brought him so much joy and made his life worth living.  The idea of a sibling for Clara made him smile and  _ ache _ . 

The possibility of raising another child with Lance filled him with a kind of reverent sense of happiness that he could never quite tap into otherwise, despite the extreme highs that he had experienced during the war. The need started as a small voice in the back of his head that grew louder every single quintant as he doted on his family. The sense of belonging and deep love that somehow became an integral part of his life was everything to him. Parenting altered his path but for him each challenging step forward grew bright. He was many things and he would gladly be a mother twice-fold.

He never wanted anything in his life as much as he wanted this. He side-eyed Lance whenever he thought he wasn’t looking and imagined what broaching the subject would be like. He hoped he would share his sense of giddiness and felt there was a good chance. He smiled to himself because he understood Lance intimately and knew his stand on kids - he loved them. 

They had never discussed more kids, Lance seemed content but Keith suspected it was because he was simply too traumatized by their first experience. Otherwise, he would’ve bet that Lance wanted many children. 

Well, now he was onboard too; he was ready.

\--- 

Keith watched in amusement as Lance sat up and scratched at his sleep mussed hair. He dragged himself out of bed and stumbled sleepily towards the bathroom to start his morning routine. Keith sat up, mildly nervous as he heard Lance use the toilet. He knew the next thing Lance would do is head for the sink and get his pills from the locked medicine bin so he could take them before brushing his teeth.

His birth control was oral, formulated by the castle after they had discovered that Keith’s version, which was a quarterly dermal spray, was ineffective for Keith’s reproduction system. They later found there was little guarantee on any kind of birth control for his hybrid heritage as there had never been anyone like Keith and Galra genes were particularly geared towards survival and the propagation of life. 

He had taken birth control initially for his heats which they seemed to have regulated so he had no reason to suspect they would fail if he shared his heat with Lance. That knowledge came too late.

His heart beat out of his chest when he heard Lance flush and head towards the sink. This time he was going to stop him. 

“Lance?”

“Hm?” He pushed the bathroom door open to listen to Keith as he unlocked the medicine bin.

Shit, Keith hadn’t thought of what to say.

“Do those expire?” He asked lamely, it was the best he could think of.

Lance glanced at him quizzically. “Hm?” He mused. “Oh, um...” He flipped the bottle over, half heartedly looking for a date, then shrugged.  “I don’t know. Coran never said anything about an expiration date. I’m sure he would have said something if we had to worry about it.”

He opened the bottle and was already shaking a pill out.  

“You could stop taking them.” Keith responded, light and casual despite his unwarranted nervousness.

“Mm...” Lance was looking down at his hand about to pop the pill in his mouth. 

Then Keith’s words actually sunk in. He froze. 

So did Keith.

Lance’s sleep-heavy eyes had gone wide in surprise. He stared at Keith, hand frozen in mid-air. Keith couldn’t read him but thought that maybe an encouraging smile was in order. It felt strange on his face. 

“Why?” Lance asked at last, taking his smile in very carefully.

“Well..”

“Uh huh?” Lance prompted.

Might as well just say it. “I was thinking that I wouldn’t mind having another kid.”

Lance stared at him, stunned. He slowly placed the pill on the bathroom counter and leaned against the door trim, fully facing Keith who ran his eyes down his toned figure. Lance was only wearing pajama bottoms which hung off his hips attractively. They could start trying immediately. Keith would be okay with that.

“You want another kid.” Lance asked, tone doubtful.

“Yeah.”

“You. Keith.”

That tone was dangerously close to an insult. Also, was there anyone else in the room?!

“What is that supposed to mean?” He asked defensively.  

Lance put his hands up. “It’s just- I know you love Clara but I didn’t think you really wanted any more kids.”

He felt offended. Keith was pregnant before he had the chance to figure out if kids were for him and they were too busy trying not to die to talk about more until now. Maybe he didn’t have a good start and wasn’t keen on kids at one point but things changed. His daughter made his life blossom. Nothing brought him more unbridled joy than his little family. 

Lance might express it better but Keith would burn the world down for Clara. All of the fear and sacrifice was worth his child. He would do anything,  _ anything _ , for her.  

Keith bit his lip and fidgeted with a pillow he had grabbed and had placed on his lap. He wanted another child with Lance. He didn’t think he could love him more than when he saw how he was with their kid. He wanted just one more. One selfish, precious need.

“I do now.” He said doggedly.

They stared at each other, Keith’s grumpiness softening as they sized each other up. The whole topic was actually a happy, exciting thing. There wasn’t anything to be grumpy about.

“Kitten…” Lance joined him on the bed and said quietly, “Last time was so hard.”

Of course he was scarred over the experience, they both were even though the delivery itself was a vague jumbled memory for Keith.

Keith placed his hand over his. “Wasn’t it worth it?”

“Yeah but I almost lost  _ both _ of you. ” He looked haunted. “Your screams...I’ve never heard you like that. Or seen you like that.” He frowned, blinking back the awful memories, “I can’t… I can’t lose you.”

Keith held his breath then set the pillow aside and scooted close to Lance and said, “You’re not losing me over this. Things are different now.”

He reached across and took Lance’s fist, gently uncurling his fingers and settling his hand over his belly where the baby would grow. He watched him carefully then felt that flutter in his stomach because there it was - that look in Lance’s eye. That brief tender smile as he looked at their joined hands and imagined another child. Oh he wanted. Just as Keith suspected. Keith smiled in relief.

“Lance…” Why shouldn’t they? The situation was so different now.

Lance sighed and met his gaze. “When’s your next heat?”

Keith frowned. “Four phoebs from now.”

“Kitten..can I think about it?”

That was the worst. Keith hated waiting. He nodded anyway because it was a big decision after all and he ambushed Lance with it. Lance pulled his hand away and kissed Keith before heading back to the bathroom to pick up the pill again. Keith watched in disappointment as Lance turned the pill over in his hand then looked back at him apologetically. 

“I’ll think about it, I promise. Then we can talk again.” Lance reassured him before he turned away and swallowed the pill.

Keith held his breath as Lance quietly shut the bathroom door then sighed and dropped back on the bed to consider his options.  He was sure Lance would love another kid, he just had to help him get past his trauma. He had to plot this out.

\---

Keith’s strategy was implementing a multi-front offense. A daily assault on his bondmate, incorporating both subtle and blatant tactics, some more successful than others. He knew his target’s weaknesses and exploited them to maximum benefit. 

_ Front one, part a (shiny hair).  _

His first course of action was working on his physical appearance. He remembered that his hair grew thick and glossy when he was pregnant so instead of just washing it and letting it fall where it would, he began messing with it; purchasing a hairbrush from the exchange and brushing each morning until his hair shined.

Lance noticed because he noticed everything about Keith. He eyed him curiously as he ran his fingers through his hair one morning.

“Are you doing something to your hair?”

Yes. Keith shrugged, “No.”

That was not the right answer because Lance’s eyes narrowed and his scent soured. 

“You are definitely doing something to your hair.” 

Keith raised an eyebrow and looked at him assessingly. Why was he annoyed? 

“Does it matter?” He wondered.

Lance frowned. “You tell me.”

Now Keith was confused. “What?”

“Why do you care about your hair all of a sudden?”

He had to ask again - “What??”

“There someone you need to  impress?!”

Keith stared at his bondmate. Unreal. He wanted Lance to focus on another child and not on imaginary competition.

“Are you serious?!”

“The last time you did anything with your hair was when we bonded. You never do anything with your hair. I don’t get why you suddenly need to do something with your hair.” Lance babbled.

He was serious. Clearly, he had gone off the deep end. 

Keith choked down the sudden rage and made sure he had Lance’s full attention as he said with eerie calm, “I’m going to make breakfast for Clara. Then I’m going to eat breakfast with Clara. Then I’m taking her to tutoring and then I’m going to work.” He paused, staring defiantly at Lance, “Do you think that will be enough time for you to get your head out of your fucking ass?”

Lance hesitated, struggling with himself then blurted, “You didn’t actually answer my question!”

“Yeah Lance, I’m fucking everyone in Logistics!” Keith burst. The department consisted entirely of Bibobis. “They love it when my hair shines you fucker! I hope your fucking training goes well you piece of shit!!” Keith said and stormed out of their bedroom to start the quintant.

_ Front 1b (softer body).  _

The other thing Keith did was limit his exercise routine so he could become less toned and hopefully remind Lance of his first pregnancy which wasn’t all bad. He remembered how Lance seemed to fixate on his softer curves, running his hands idly over Keith’s arms and sides whenever he had a chance.  

Keith typically went early to the makeshift Guardian gym (which with each passing quintant, looked more and more like a real gym and training center ) then returned to their suite to shower. Now, he’d skip the gym more quintants than not so he could snuggle Lance and implement another part of his plan ( _ front 2a) _ . 

Lance was particularly attuned to his pheromones, sometimes sniffing out Keith’s mood before he understood himself how he felt. Keith was willing to bet that his bondmate could sense when he was feeling content and maternal so he worked on exploiting that fact.  He thought about Clara as he settled more comfortably in Lance’s arms; thought about the more precious moments as he let himself drift in and out of wakefulness.

Lance didn’t say a word but he would meet his gaze tenderly when Keith would look up and then pet his (softer, glossier) hair until it was time to get up.

_ Front 3a, roman numeral iii accompanied by front 3c (baby reminders/highlight precious moments). _

Every night Keith made sure he was the little spoon and tucked Lance’s arm around his waist, settling their clasped hands over his belly. He would have a few anecdotes prepared so he could reminisce with Lance on particularly sweet moments they have had with their daughter. 

He could feel the curve of Lance’s smile on his shoulder as his bondmate had finally cottoned on to his ploy.

“I know what you’re doing.” Lance informed him, tucking Keith closer nonetheless.

Keith stifled a smile and squeezed Lance’s hand. “What?” He asked innocently, “I’m trying to sleep.” 

“Sure, Kitten. Good night then. You know, since you are definitely going to sleep right now and will definitely not talk about something cute that Clara did.”

“Right. Good night.”

Baited silence would follow until Keith piped up, “Hey, remember the first time we did halloween with Clara?”

Lance laughed, his puff of breath tickling Keith’s shoulder as he squeezed him tight. “I thought you were trying to sleep?”

Keith smiled to himself. “You dressed her up like a striped pillowcase.”

He felt Lance stiffen. “What?? She was a bumblebee, Keith!”

“What??” Keith’s eyebrows went up. He thought Lance was joking when he called Clara a bumblebee. “That doesn’t make any sense. Bees are fuzzy and have three pairs of legs. And where was the thorax?”

“It wasn’t supposed to be an anatomically correct depiction of a bee, weirdo.”

Keith turned around to stare at Lance. “Why would you dress her up like a badly rendered bee?” He asked, vaguely offended at the half assed job of a costume.

“Oh my god, shut up. She was adorable.”

“Yes, that was my whole point before I found out that she was supposed to be a  _ bee _ .”

Lance stared at him. “Are you like mad right now?”

“No.” Keith huffed and flipped around, determined to make it up to Clara some quintant for the garbage outfit. “Anyway. I found this.” 

He grabbed his phone and pulled up the photo he had carefully selected earlier. It was of him cuddling Clara in his arms. The shot caught them both with their eyes closed, as if savoring, and smiling gently.  Clara was tucked under his chin, wearing her awful  _ bee _ costume. He stared at the photo in annoyance before shutting off his phone. 

“But it’s kind of ruined now.”

Lance snorted. “Okay - one - send me that photo and two - you are ridiculous.”

“ _ You’re _ ridiculous.” Keith responded, pettily.

_ Front 3c, roman numeral i (acquire more baby pictures) _

Keith peered over his daughter’s shoulder, perplexed. She and Hunk were standing under an engine component, hunched over a module near the base and staring at it in total silence. 

“What are you doing?”

Apparently neither one of them heard him come in as they startled badly. 

“Ahh, stay back!” Hunk shoved Clara behind him, threatening Keith with a wrench before he relaxed. “Oh, it’s just you.”

Keith smirked, crossing his arms. “Just me.”

Clara peeked at him from behind Hunk. “Mami!” She greeted then flew into his arms for a hug, craning her head back so her chin rested on his chest as she wheedled, “We’re running a diagnostic! Can I stay for just twenty more doboshes, pretty please?” 

He smiled at her and wiped at some spacecraft grease she had on her cheeks. “Well, I was hoping we could make dinner together and surprise your dad. I was gonna swing by the exchange first.”

She perked up, excitedly. “Oh! Okay!” 

She loved the exchange, it had a boisterous bazaar-like atmosphere and there were all kinds of colorful items on sale from across the universe. 

“It closes early today so go get your things, princesa, if you wanna go. Hurry.”

“Okay!” She whipped around, bouncing on her feet excitedly as she exclaimed, “The exchange, Uncle Hunk!” She then whooped as she ran off to gather her stuff.

“Why are you taking my favorite space niece away?” Hunk wanted to know. “Doesn’t matter, I’m adopting her some quintant, she gets me. You can visit her sometimes.” 

Keith grinned at his friend as he leaned back on a work table, “Sorry Hunk, Shiro has dibs. Do you want to join us at the exchange?”

“Aw, I would love to but I’m afraid I can’t.” Hunk smiled easily at him as he rematerialized the spacecraft’s bow exterior. “I need to finish up here before tomorrow’s class.”

“Need any help?”

“No, nope, go have fun with your daughter.” He wiped his hands on a rag and joined Keith by the table. “Been meaning to ask how’re you feeling on the recruits?”

Keith nodded. “They’re good. Determined. Most of them know first hand what things were like. They’re not wasting my time.”

“Yeah, they’re not bad. They’re going to miss your disappointed scowl when you go.”

Keith smirked. “I bet.”

“I’m ready!” Clara came running back with her backpack in tow. She was holding a large cylindrical gear she was repairing, close to her chest as if it were a cherished teddy bear. She stood between them, her back to Keith’s front, smiling up at Hunk as she patiently waited for them to finish their conversation. Keith kissed the top of her head and smoothed her hair back behind her shoulder before draping his arms over her shoulders and loosely clasping his hands together in front of her. 

“Hunk, I’m wondering if you have any baby pictures of Clara or of me and Clara? Would you mind sending me a few of those?”

“Are you kidding? Ninety nine percent of my gallery is Clara.” Hunk pulled out his phone and flipped through his pictures. “This one is so cute, oh this one too. No, this one is better. I’ll send this. Look at her cheeks! And this. Definitely this. This. Why are you making me choose???” He groaned. “Okay new plan, I’m sending you a link to my gallery, you choose what you want. Does that work? Choose everything. Except that one where she vomited on Allura….ooooh, I have a good one where she spat up on Shiro.” 

“I didn’t do that!” Yelped Clara, anxiously.

“Yeah you did, mini Keith. See?”

She frowned at the photo as Keith grinned, “That’ll be great, thank you. Let’s get going Clara, say bye to Uncle Hunk.”

She put her gear on the floor and leapt into Hunk’s arms for a bear hug and squeezed as tight as she could, “Bye Uncle Hunk! I didn’t do that!”

“Bye mini Keith, yeah you did! Take a picture of what you make for dinner, I wanna see.”

“Okay!”

He kissed her and put her down, fixing the hair clips that had come loose in her hair.

Keith took her hand once she was settled and smiled at his friend. “Bye Hunk.” He backed up towards the door as his daughter grabbed her prized gear. “Thanks for keeping her and for the pics too.”

Hunk waved him off, saying simply, “Your family, Keith.” As if that explained everything.

Keith collected several hundred photos from Hunk and added the best ones to his scheduled daily media message to Lance.

_ Front 3a, roman number i (baby items everywhere) _

Apart from picking up food ingredients and hairbrushes from the exchange, Keith also kept an eye out for any kind of cute baby items that might grace the market shelves. There wasn’t much but a few of the sellers offered to bring him a bag of second-hand baby clothes when he inquired. He accumulated an impressive amount that way. 

He would select the most precious humanoid baby clothes from his stash and leave them where Lance was sure to find them. 

One night, Lance came home, unlocked their main entrance, walked through the door and did not stop walking until he had cornered Keith in their bedroom. 

“Nobody believes me when I tell them you’re sticking baby stuff in my things.” He said casually.

Keith shrugged, “I get that. That doesn’t sound like me.”

Lance narrowed his eyes as he dug around in his duffel bag and pulled out an impressive collection of tiny baby socks, piling them up on the dresser next to them and flicking one knitted sock at Keith’s head, “Except that it IS you. Where are you even getting these??”

Keith shrugged and went straight to the point, “I want another baby, Lance.”  _ And  _ **_you_ ** _ want another baby, can we get on with it??? _

Lance raised an eyebrow and eyed him in amusement. He pecked him on the lips. “I noticed. I’m thinking about it just like I promised, Kitten.”

“It’s been two movements, if we’re going to talk we should talk.”

Lance smiled at him as he took off his duffel and headed back out the door. “I’m not ready yet. I just need a little more time. Okay? Please?”

He was giving Keith his fond, crooked smile look, where his eyes shined a little bluer and warmer than usual. That was cheating, screw him.

Keith huffed, “Fine.” 

He watched Lance disappear out the door in search for Clara who had fallen asleep in their tiny rec room.

_ Front 3a, roman numeral ii (remind target of the biological imperative behind heat) _

Keith upped the stakes. He limited sex to slight variations of one specific position - doggie/presenting, reminding Lance of heat and the whole biological purpose behind it. Keith was betting that he would stoke Lance’s instinctual urge to impregnate. 

“No, I like this.” He said when Lance hooked his hand under his knee as if he was going to pull him onto his side.

Lance hesitated. Keith was typically game for any position his bondmate put him in and was happy to go along with anything so long as it ended with an orgasm.

“I know but you like this too.”

“Like this.” Keith insisted, he curled slightly to meet his eyes. He tried to look small and desperate as he shifted his knees and arched his back. He pulled his hair out of the way to expose his mating gland and begged quietly, “Please?” He went further down so his shoulders were flat on the bed and spread his knees further, raising his ass high. “Like this?”

He could feel his slick doing its job, leaking out of his entrance in front of Lance.

It never failed.  He could smell the sharp spike of arousal in Lance’s scent. His alpha was on top of him in an instant, draping himself over his back. Keith tried not to crow too loudly.

“For the record I know you’re manipulating me.”

Keith laughed, “You should punish me...” He moaned in satisfaction as Lance sunk in.

“You would  _ like _ that.”

Keith would’ve laughed again but he was busy trying to execute his plan. It wasn’t natural for him to dirty talk the way Lance did but he was on a mission. He laid it on thick, a diatribe he practiced in his head aimed at pleasing Lance’s inner alpha lizard brain to maximum potential though he kept it truthful. 

“What I like is being under my alpha. I love it when you come deep inside me. I bet you could get me pregnant like this, birth control or not. I’ll get big and uncomfortable and everyone will know its because I let you do this to me. Prove to everyone how much I belong to you.” He thought he hit all of those common alpha kinks. It worked too, he could feel Lance almost swoon on top of him. Felt him surge inside him.

“Kitten..” Lance said in a strangled voice.

“Fuck me.”

“Fuck. Okay.” He bit down on Keith’s mating gland making him cry out as he wrapped his hand around Keith’s dick and pounded into him. Keith was soon reduced to whining cries each time Lance thrusted as deeply as he dared.

Afterwards, Keith would prop a few pillows under his hips and work on a little pheremonal warfare. He would close his eyes and imagine that he had successfully conceived and indulged in that fantasy. He smiled as he pictured a newborn baby being placed in his arms. He imagined what it would be like raising his two kids together with Lance on Earth. 

He would ignore any poking and teasing comments from Lance as he let his head travel to all the sweeter moments he could indulge in during a time of peace. He felt it so strongly that he thought he could feel a tingle on his scent gland. He was sure he was flooding the room with his pheromones. 

Eventually, Lance would stop teasing him and Keith would open his eyes, still smiling happily as he caught Lance’s warm subdued expression.

_ Front 3b (address trauma) _

Keith somehow forgot that the heart of Lance’s resistance was the initial trauma that he had suffered. Lance was ultimately very practical and reasonable when it came to making important decisions so Keith’s next tactic was to address his trauma with reassurance and logic.

He had Lance laughing at the visual presentation he set up in their bedroom where he compared himself to a three dimensional projection of his sixteen year old self. 

“If you notice I’m bigger here” Keith said, circling his younger self and gesturing at his entire sixteen year old body, “I am better equipped to handle a pregnancy.”

“You look better equipped for choking out a bear.”

Keith frowned, he thought he did a good job looking a little less toned lately. “I can do that too if I have to.” He said offhandedly though he would evaluate that later.

Lance laughed. 

“My latest medical evaluation confirms that I am in my prime for childbearing.” 

Keith’s next projection was an x-ray equivilant of his hips. 

“My doctor confirmed that my pelvis is healthy and works just like any other omega.” He forwarded his medical record to Lance’s phone. “I don’t have any lingering detrimental effects from the first time. The only reason I had trouble the first time was because my pelvis wasn’t fully developed yet.” He pointed at his younger self’s hips then ran his hands down his own hips. “It’s now fully developed and I can comfortably accommodate a baby. It might not look like it now but my pelvis is fully capable of expanding as needed for a safe delivery.”

Lance scrolled through his phone and said dryly, “Can’t say I expected a blow by blow presentation from you about your baby making hips.”

“Ideal baby making hips.” Keith pointed out as he pulled out pamphlets, handing one to Lance and changing tactics. 

“The planet we’re moving to is well equipped to handle a diverse alien population. Their birthing centers are state of the art and can handle virtually any type of medical emergency. Ninety eight percent of deliveries are healthy ones for the mother and child.”

Keith eyed him for his reaction. Lance was smiling at him, obviously holding back laughter but Keith wasn’t sure what that meant.

It was end of movement three and he was starting to feel worried that maybe he had read Lance all wrong. Maybe he really didn’t want another child and was avoiding the conversation because he didn’t want to hurt Keith. 

Keith began to frown, suddenly seeing the situation in a whole different light.

Lance straightened on the bed and put his phone down. He held his hand out, “Come here.”

Keith sat next to him as they sized each other up.

Lance took his hand. “You really want a baby.”

Now Keith wasn’t sure if maybe he was fucking things up. “If you really want a baby.” He replied diplomatically.

“Yeah, let’s do it. Another baby would be amazing.” Lance said happily. 

Keith blinked a few times. He sniffed out Lance’s scent but it remained light and stress-free. His happiness looked genuine.

An overwhelming elation seized his insides, though his outward reaction was an understated one, “Great.”  

Lance grinned, “Wanna know a secret though?”

Keith froze. Things were never NEVER great for him when Lance said that. “No.” 

Lance leaned in anyway and whispered in his ear. “I stopped taking the pills a movement ago.”

That. Mother. Fucking. Fucker.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?!” Keith yelled, probably blowing out Lance’s eardrums. What a fucking shit head. 

Lance cracked up. “What and stop all this?!”

It was rapidly getting more annoying because he just remembered that Lance was still popping pills in the morning, obviously faking him out.

If he wasn’t so happy he would murder him. “You’re a piece of shit.”

Lance was wiping tears off his face, “Oh c’mon Kitten, let me have some fun.”

At his expense? “Fuck off.”

“It was cute! You went all out!” Lance derailed his annoyance by running his hand smoothly down his belly and keeping that bit of warmth there as he smiled happily.  “Another one!”

Keith nodded and hurried to reassure him before he could start dwelling on how the first one went. “It won’t be like last time.” Keith promised. “I’m ready for it and I’ll avoid any dark planets.”

Lance closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Keith. “I hope so Kitten, I can’t go through that nightmare again.”

Keith nodded.

Lance drew back and seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before cheering, “Another one!”

Keith grinned. “Yeah.”

“We could have a whole bunch more!”

Keith froze. 

“ONE, Lance. One. One more and that’s it!”

\--- 

Later that night, Keith celebrated by letting Lance contort his body as he pleased. He found himself on his back under his alpha, getting his inner entrance reamed by deep thrusts.

Lance ran his eyes over his body appreciatively as he fucked him; turned on by how willingly Keith took anything he dished out.  Keith stifled the moans and struggled with the strain on his thighs as his legs were widely spread apart almost in a split as Lance nailed his pussy just right. 

“You’re fucking sloppy. Listen to how wet you are.” Lance rolled his hips, purposely causing a squelching noise.

God, he always got Keith so wet. His dick, his scent, the way he looked at him, the way he treated him like no one else. Keith burned.

Lance was on his knees but leaned forward on top of Keith, pulling Keith’s legs together by his calves and settling Keith’s ankles on his shoulders. Lance pulled his own knees up from under himself so he could plant his feet on the bed on either side of Keith’s ass and push himself up. He was in a half crouch over his omega, his hands on Keith’s shoulders and forcing Keith’s hips higher so Keith was curled over himself, ass in the air as Lance fucked into his pussy. 

Keith couldn’t help himself, he had been obsessing over baby making for several movements; this situation was all well and good however - “Presenting is better for getting pregnant.”

Lance stopped thrusting and stared which struck Keith as funny. He stifled the inappropriate snort.

“Keith. Your baby fever is something else. I’m pretty sure any position during heat will get you pregnant so long as my cock is knotting your pussy.”

“I’m not in heat.”

“Uh yeah I know.”

Keith frowned at Lance. 

After a prolonged silence, Lance frowned back. “You’re looking at me like you think it’s my fault you’re not in heat.”

Keith sighed and looked away. “Presenting is better for getting pregnant.” He muttered.

“So is heat by like a 1000 percent. And you’re not in heat.”

“You’re not taking birth control so there’s a decent chance.”

“A slim chance.”

“Still a chance.”

Lance stared some more, he must’ve been straining in keeping that awkward position. Keith eyed him clinically.

“Keith, if you’re not enjoying this, you could just say something, I am pretty sure you’re not shy about chopping my head off whenever you feel like it.”

Keith let out another put upon sigh, “I’m not.” He waved his hand, vaguely dismissive. “It’s still good.” 

That wasn’t particularly inspiring or flattering to Lance.

“Oh my god. Look, you mind if I get on with it? We can do doggie forever more after this.”

Keith started to feel a tiny bit sheepish, he had actually been enjoying it before conceiving strategies crept into his head. He laughed a little and reached up and kissed Lance until his bondmate was looking at him with amusement too.

Keith sighed and closed his eyes, letting his body wriggle on the cock buried inside. He loved how his alpha had chipped away at his walls so he could be like this;  free to be his whole self. “I feel good, alpha. Keep fucking me, please.”

He looked up to catch the pleased expression he knew would be there. He smiled back at Lance affectionately before closing his eyes again. The smile on his face lingered as he enjoyed each vigorous dip inside him.

“Crazy fucking omega.”

Keith’s moan turned into a laugh.

“Just keep fucking me, asshole.”

“Right.”

Keith did stop obsessing over getting pregnant outside of heat. The second he did, however, they beat the odds and conceived so his next heat ended up being a postpartum one.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it! As always comments give me life. :D


	3. Ch 2b: Earth Date 29 April 2210

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gives birth to Shiro (his son, not Voltron Shiro) on another alien planet. This is how that went. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: There is no dignity in childbirth, lol. [Brackets mean spoken in Spanish] 
> 
> Hope you enjoy (would appreciate a comment as always if you do!)!!! :D

Poor Lance spent the whole nine months living in fear of getting mauled by his omega. It seemed that the second he let his guard down Keith would grab him, find the one patch of unmarred skin he had left, and  _ bite _ . The coast seemed clear this time as Keith had nodded off on one of their lawn chairs despite the noise he and Clara were making as they laughed and ran across their backyard with a large bubble maker. They were creating big tube-shaped bubbles for a Wellspring assignment that burst into snowflake patterns that shimmered in the sunlight as they melted.  

Lance motioned for Clara to stay where she was and crept close to Keith. He inspected Keith as he slept; his head had drooped forward and his mouth was partly open as he breathed softly.  Once satisfied that he was sound asleep and relatively safe, Lance waved at Clara to come close then quietly hustled her inside so he could start dinner. Seconds later he popped back out, nervously rechecking that Keith was okay and placed a blanket over him before slipping back inside. 

He popped out again to make sure the blanket was actually securely wrapped around Keith which it was. He looked fine, so Lance headed back in. He then briefly wondered if the position Keith was in was okay for Keith and the baby and stuck his head out again, debating whether he should encourage him to go back in to the couch or let him sleep. Lance decided it was probably better to let Keith sleep undisturbed. 

He managed to pull a pot out in the kitchen before growing anxious again and heading back out to make sure Keith was still okay. Everything was still fine and safe for Keith, at least for the moment. Lance bit his lip and left the door open and headed towards the kitchen. He would start dinner and then check on him later.

As soon as he was truly gone, Keith sighed in relief and relaxed. He kept his eyes closed just in case. What he really wanted to do was lay out on the couch like the beached whale that he was and rest in peace -  _ by himself _ \- or maybe snuggled with his daughter but he couldn’t. Definitely not if his bondmate was nearby. 

The man was everywhere, never leaving him alone, constantly hovering, constantly watching him like he thought Keith was going to accidentally off himself if he was left alone for too long. He even took a sabbatical from his communal post so he could stay at home and torture Keith during his medic prescribed house rest. Keith was bombarded with constant, “How are you feeling?” and “Do you think its labor?” and his personal favorite which came up whenever he was done with Lance and refused to answer any more questions, “Can you hear me?! Are you okay??” 

The lack of peace was made worse by his alpha’s scent - he was constantly stressed now that labor could be on any quintant which made  _ Keith _ constantly stressed.  Keith wanted to either run away or put Lance out of his misery by knocking him out but neither one of those were practical or even doable if he was honest. 

A buzz on his wrist was followed by an aching contraction that seized his middle once again. Keith ran his hands over his belly and tried to ignore it, focusing instead on how the sun rays reflected beautifully against the colorful stone mosaic of his neighbors’ homes. The planet had its own unique charm and possibly could be home permanently if returning to Earth didn’t work out. The residential sectors were absolutely gorgeous, like living works of art. He wished he could mull the beauty of the area for longer but the band on his wrist wouldn’t allow him to ignore his current situation for long.

The prognosis band, silently buzzed against his skin when his contractions were imminent. Were he to tap the band and project an analyses, it would indicate that the contractions he was experiencing for the last few vargas were the onset of true labor. But he still had some time yet before he needed a birthing spring and if he alerted Lance now he might have to really kill him. Keith squirmed in his chair and groaned to himself as his bladder demanded his attention. He couldn’t even enjoy the Lance break he just gave himself. 

He slid his exhausted self to the edge of the chair and hauled himself up. Unfortunately, he had to walk back inside and go past Lance to get to the bathroom. He went back in as quietly as a heavily pregnant omega could and rounded the corner, encountering a fresh new hell - Lance neck deep in the pantry of their cooking cove. Keith inspected the sliver of brown alpha skin peeking out between the bottom of Lance’s tank top and hem of his shorts and wondered how safe it would be to  _ not _ bite. 

He really, really, really didn’t feel like chomping down on his bondmate today but if he didn’t do it and Lance caught him heading towards the bathroom without taking this obvious opportunity then Lance would suspect that something was up. So he resigned himself to his fate and quietly waddled closer, zeroing in on the waistline.  

Who was he kidding - he couldn’t possibly reach all the way down there. Keith sighed silently and inspected the rest of his unsuspecting bondmate’s back as he stretched up to reach for a can of seasoning. Near his shoulder will have to do. Keith squeezed his eyes shut, reluctantly opened his mouth and slow lurched forward. 

“Hey princesa-” Lance happened to call out at the same time that Keith landed on him.

Keith was somewhere near his bondmate’s armpit and back causing Lance to interrupt himself with a shriek as teeth dug into sensitive skin, “Ahhhh! KEITH! Ow ow ow! Off! No! Off! OFF.” His arms flailed out in alarm, incidentally knocking the seasoning and other pantry items to the floor. He hissed in pain and struggled not to shove his pregnant omega the hell away from him. 

“Off off off off OFF off!” He batted at Keith. 

Keith sighed again and backed up, briefly inspecting his handiwork - he didn’t even break skin. Leaving teeth marks on his alpha usually satisfied some deep-seeded bizarro need to claim him as his own but this time it was the absolute worst. He wanted to scrub the flavor of alpha off his tongue immediately. Lance was sweaty and salty and much too alpha-y; he left a sickly sour taste in his mouth.  

Once freed, Lance whipped around and backed further into the pantry like cornered prey. They eyed each other unhappily.

“How are you feeling?” Lance asked eventually, reluctantly.

“I feel like my bladder has shrunk down to nothing!.” Keith yelped as he resumed his hurried journey towards the toilet. Hopefully he could make it this time. He glanced back at Lance miserably when he was further away, “And like there isn’t a back scratcher big enough for the kind of fucking itch I’m feeling.”

He heard Clara giggle somewhere nearby and groaned. She wasn’t supposed to hear that. He scrambled into the bathroom as Lance replied intelligently, “Oh. Uhm.. I can scratch your back?”

And then ask a thousand questions and possibly notice the buzzing prognosis band. “No!”

Keith sat down and sighed in relief. He chalked sitting down to pee as another indignity of pregnancy. At least he made it.

“I’m fine.” Keith called out to Lance preemptively once he exited the bathroom. 

He spotted Clara laying on the couch, lazily scrolling through her Wellspring assignment. She was reviewing the chemical composition options for the bubble liquid so she could figure out a mix that would cause the bubble reaction the Wellspring assigned to her. He glanced at Lance, catching his sudden too casual chopping of alien vegetables and decided his best bet would be to stay within sight or dinner wasn’t going to get done because Lance would keep interrupting himself to check in on him. He hoped he could eat some dinner before he had to go in. 

Keith waddled towards his daughter and gingerly dropped down on the couch, happy for her to curl into him. At least his daughter wasn’t overbearing. 

He held back a miserable sigh. His everything was swollen, the worse being his ankles which he was sure were each about the width of his thighs as there was no curvature left to his limbs. What he had were swollen sausage-like appendages pretending to be something useful.  

“How’re you feeling?” called out Lance.

Keith sighed and tried to be patient, focusing on petting his daughter’s hair, taking comfort in his child’s scent. 

“I’m fine.” He replied.

The bracelet buzzed and another contraction seized his uterus and belly. Keith stiffened, unable to completely ignore the cramping this time as it was stronger than the previous. Clara looked up at him curiously but didn’t say anything. The discomfort was taking him back to memories of humid darkness from long ago causing him to swallow nervously. He was almost tempted to tell Lance now however the pain went away lowering the immediacy of his buried panic. 

Keith took a few slow deep breaths and distracted himself by smiling at Clara and winking secretly at her.

“I’m having your brother or sister today.” He confessed quietly in her ear and hugged her when she tried to jump up. She smiled excitedly as he put his finger on his lips asking for her to stay quiet. Lance could only see the back of his head from his vantage point. “But it’s not time yet. Can you help me keep track of my contractions? We can tell your dad when it’s time to go.”

She glanced at Lance and nodded, eyes twinkling mischievously as Keith made a flick gesture over his prognosis band, sending the data stream to Clara’s tablet.

He watched in amusement as she sat up on her knees and dove into the information, eyes flickering across the screen as she looked at the different diagnosis and estimates of the baby’s position. The secret was more than likely going to be short-lived.

“You’re seven doboshes apart!” She stage whispered loudly.

“What was that?” Lance asked as he pulled their dishes from storage.

“[Nothing!]” She piped up, angelically. “[I... think I know how to get the star shape bubble pattern! Just telling mami!]” 

“[Good job baby. We can try it out after dinner.]”

“Okay!”

Keith raised an eyebrow at his daughter as she smiled innocently at him, unrepentantly. He would file away the easy lying from his sneaky child for later. 

She scrolled through more of the information and said quietly, “When do we tell papi? Can I please tell him??”

“You can tell him when I’m at five doboshes, princesa.” He pointed at the prognosis band. “This will beep when it’s time to go at four doboshes.”

She nodded, smiling excitedly as she dropped back down on the sofa. She placed her hand on his belly and hunched over her tablet, keeping a close eye on the readings before looking back up at Keith.

“Mami, if you’re having my brother or sister, maybe I should skip Wellspring tomorrow?” She said as if she had no agenda whatsoever.

Keith snorted. Clara enjoyed her newfound peers but had seriously balked at regular school, mainly because it included strict deadlines and the not fun parts of math mechanics.

“Did you finish your assignments? Let me see them.”

She smiled sheepishly then half-whined, half-laughed, “Mami...”

The next contraction hit, the painful cramps stealing his attention. He winced in discomfort as strong pressure seized his pelvic area.  The contraction was definitely stronger and several ticks longer than before. He endured it quietly and breathed out slow as it dissipated.

He took a calming breath when it was over and opened his eyes, catching Clara’s wide-eyed anxious expression. He smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hand.

“How long was that one?”

She smiled and dove into her tablet. “Thirty five ticks long!” Clara gasped and leapt off the sofa yelling, “You’re six doboshes apart!”

Oops.

There was a commotion behind him, like utensils beings dropped and somebody maybe tripping over himself. Lance yelped, “He’s what?!”

Keith laughed at the look of complete horror that had stricken his daughter.  

“It’s okay. Tell him, princesa.” Keith encouraged.

She grinned as she crossed her arms behind herself, still holding the tablet. She rocked from side to side as she looked past Keith at Lance. “Mami’s having the baby today.” She said serenely, “He’s six doboshes apart. We’re going to the Birthspring soon. Can I bring my circuitry kits?” She had been excited about the baby but just as excited about a sleepover at the ‘spring with her parents and the Voltron family she knew would be coming.

A tick later, Lance slid to a stop on his knees in front of Keith, eyes wide as he hugged Clara to him with one arm while grabbing onto Keith’s hand. 

“You’re going to be okay.” He promised as if it were Keith that needed the reassurance. He looked faint; Keith could feel his hand shaking. His bondmate looked more frightened than he ever did going into battle. Keith swallowed hard, battling between amusement and his own worries. He wished he could banish all those bad memories for Lance as well as his own so they could have this child in relative peace.

“Yeah, I know.” Keith said reassuringly. “We’re all going to be fine.” Keith ran his fingers through Lance’s hair before turning to Clara, “ _ One _ kit, okay?”

She frowned and he could see her scheming away so he clarified, “One of your smaller kits, Clara, the ‘spring is not a good place to try and build the circuitry of an entire spacecraft.” 

“It’s only a mini navigation module!” She protested immediately. “Venaarli jumper crafts-ahhh- papi!” She laughed as Lance pulled her off her feet by pinning her to his side as he stood up. He headed towards her sleeping cove.

“[Aren’t Venaarli crafts about the size of Black?!]” He wondered.

“[Actually they come in-]”

“[Hey look, mellowpuffs!]”

“Papi-” She squealed in alarm as she watched him grab the fruit from a bowl that was on the hallway table they passed by. “Papi, [noooo - I don’t like th-ermmrghh]” She pressed her lips together tight and tried to hold back her giggles as Lance casually tried to force feed her the fruit (that tasted like artificially sweetened mashed potatoes).

“I could’ve sworn you loved these?”

“Mmrghh!” She said in outraged laughter.

He dropped her off in her cove and pressed a series of loud kisses on her head.

“One small kit, baby. We shouldn’t be at the Birthspring for more than two or three days and you’re going to be busy updating your aunts and uncles on the baby while they make their way here. And then you’re going to be busy introducing them to the baby when they  _ are _ here.”

He caught her interest with the unexpected responsibility of updating their Voltron friends. She looked pleased as she nodded.

“Get ready, Princesa. And get your kit to the transport, okay?”

“Okay!” She hummed easily enough and headed for her closet to get her things.

Lance hurried back to Keith, catching him in the midst of another contraction. 

“Kitten..” He said worriedly.

Keith didn’t hear him as his focus was inwards. He moaned slightly at the strong pressure gripping his pelvis and endured the longer length of the contraction. Although prepared, he wasn’t thrilled with the fact that it was only going to get worse.

His body relaxed once the pain subsided. He noticed Lance’s arm around his back so he leaned into him gratefully, saying for both their sakes, “This is not like last time. I’m being actively monitored. We’re not being chased. There’s also help that is only two doboshes away if anything comes up.” He pressed the prognosis band so the monitoring screen materialized in front of them. 

“And the monitoring has me well within normal parameters for human labor, see?” His previous labor was entirely like a regular human omega’s in nature. He pointed to another part of the screen. “And we have a direct line to my medic and the ‘spring. We’re a stream away.”

Lance nodded. He pointed to another panel, “It’s approximating your labor - three vargas before delivery. Fourteen vargas overall.”

Keith nodded. “Everything’s normal. I’m only on houserest as a precaution.” He reiterated then paused and said, “I already told the gang. They’re on their way.” He reminded Lance, “Hunk and Shiro will stay with us for a few days. Maybe a week or two for Shiro.”

“Okay.” Lance said. He was navigating through the band’s settings. “This was supposed to notify me when you were having contractions.”

Keith replied dryly, “I blocked your notification because I would have killed you if I had to watch you panic for ten vargas.”

Lance didn’t even try to deny it. He eyed Keith worriedly, getting back down on his knees in front of him. “I could’ve been helping you.”

Keith suffered another contraction.

When it was over, Keith tried to smile, “I’m fine. Contractions haven’t been that bad so far.” Lance ran his thumbs over the top of Keith’s hands then slid his fingers over his abdomen, gently massaging as he reached his sides then firmly massaging his lower back. It was heavenly.

Keith closed his eyes appreciatively. Massages earlier in the game would’ve been nice.

He was patting Lance’s arm just as a vaguely familiar ‘pop’ sound and an uncontrollable leak dribbled down his thighs, wetting his trousers. They both surveyed the expanding wet area before it truly clicked.

“The baby!” yelped Lance at the same time that Keith grumbled, “My pants...”

“That was your water right? Quiznak, oh god. Okay. You’ll be fine.” Lance stood up and helped Keith up, shepherding him towards the transport. 

“Wait, Lance. I want to change my pants. And get Clara!” 

“Right. Yes.” Lance ran his hands through his hair and briefly paced like he wasn’t sure what he was going to do.

“Get Clara in the transport and double check that the go bags are in there.”

“Right!” He rushed towards Clara’s room just as she popped out and quickly began to herd her towards the transport. 

“Papi!”

“[Is that your kit princesa? Let’s go, leave that other thing here, hurry hurry hurry!]”

Keith shook his head and headed for a change of underwear and pants. He just hoped Lance didn’t forget  _ him _ and leave him behind. He labored through another contraction before he could make it to the transport.

\--- 

They arrived shortly to the Birthspring which looked like a large clearing in the woods surrounded by a dense treeline at the perimeter. Their dedicated birthing team of three was there to greet them at the entrance. Two of them were natives of the planet. Keith thought that the natives vaguely looked like spotted giraffes with their longer necks, soft wide-set eyes, and distinct skin patterns used to regulate heat. They were dressed in body hugging tunics in crisp white, the color of the pips and alien script along the armbands denoted their communal post roles which were clearly medical field positions.

Together his team seemed to emanate a serene and welcoming warmth.

The tallest one which wore purple pips signifying lead medic, stepped forward and assisted Keith and Lance through another contraction. 

Lance then helped Keith out of the transport as the medic kept a hand on Keith’s back and gestured at a wooden moving platform with handrails. She smiled as she said, “Welcome Keith, Lance, and Clara. Keith you are doing wonderfully. This way.”

The other native, a Wellspring sitter with medical credentials, immediately engaged Clara asking her questions about her kit as they stepped on to the platform. The third team member congratulated Lance and asked him if there was anything he could do for him.

Once they boarded the platform, it glided smoothly down a ravine over top a shallow creek that expanded out widely. There was a central landmass with multiple layered facilities that towered over everything else. Central included a playground and covered dining area with food provided by the spring. Wide wooden platforms lead out from the Central to individual shell-like enclosures built over top of the water. The globe shaped technological shield protecting each enclosure occasionally shined, reflecting the sunlight. It was a lovely and calming place. Keith closed his eyes, enjoying the warm breeze as they decelerated.

He felt his medic firmly squeeze his shoulder.

“Another contraction is coming. Ready?”

Keith nodded and braced himself just as his belly felt like it hardened to stone and the sharp pain clawed at his pelvis. It was awful pain but he had worse. He couldn’t ignore it though, his world narrowed down to the pain in his belly and he cringed, moaning without realizing it as the pain coursed through him again. When it ebbed away, he realized Lance had his arm around him. He leaned on his alpha and breathed as Lance kept his nose and lips pressed on his neck.

“Okay?” Lance asked.

Keith nodded.

“You are doing very well. Excellent.” said the medic encouragingly.

They had arrived at their enclosure, the shield sanitizing them as they went through. The Wellspring sitter guided Clara towards the closed off friends and family area as previously agreed. Clara happily went with the sitter, excited to talk more on her circuitry and also view the diagnosis analyses she was supposed to monitor and relay to their Voltron visitors. She turned at the last minute and waved happily at Keith and Lance who waved back.

Keith squeezed Lance’s hand tight as his daughter and sitter disappeared inside the shell enclosure. He took a deep breath and looked at the path that went the other direction. The path was a ramp that spiralled downwards to the partly underwater area which Keith knew was comprised of a liquiform pool where he would give birth. It should be beautiful; everywhere he looked he would see underwater stones, sand and fish or if he looked up he would see trees and sky above. 

“Oh fuck.” He said, hot panic seizing him in the guts. 

This was going to happen. He knew it was going to happen obviously but it didn’t stop the fact that it was going to happen, like right now, today. He wasn’t leaving this place without pushing out a baby and that moment was happening. Here. Today. 

“Oh fuck, fuck. Fuck. Oh fuck.” He gasped then found that he couldn’t breathe.

“Kitten, what is it?” Lance asked steadily which meant he was terrified.

Keith tried to back up, ending up in the arms of his team. “I’m having a baby. Can we reschedule this. I don’t think I can push out a baby today. Tomorrow would be better.” 

“You are all right Keith. You are in good hands. You are doing so well-” said the medic just as Lance held him tighter.

“Everything will be fine, Kitten.” He promised.

He kept trying to escape the medics and Lance who were trying to reason gently with him. Another contraction slammed through him which immobilized him. Keith endured and when he came back to outward consciousness, he noticed that Lance’s hand was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Keith took another wild breath and held it as he focused on Lance’s panic. He couldn’t do this to him. He had to get a hold of himself and just go through it. Omegas went through this all the time. He was fine. He can handle it. 

“Sorry.” He said. “That was stupid. I’m doing this. Let’s go.” He waddled down the ramp, encircled by the two medics and his bondmate.

He eyed the still liquiform pool for a moment then began to undo his pants.

“Would you like a tunic?” Lance asked nervously as he helped him.

“Don’t care.” Keith ripped at his clothes and moved before he could think about it. As soon as he touched the liquiform multiple alien scripts materialized above the liquid. It quickly morphed into a language they could read. 

_ ‘patient analyses...’  _

It felt warm and bizarrely dry like a soft spongy mesh which solidified to hold his body or melted into water like substance depending on his body’s cues. It was lilac in color but on close inspection, the thin webbing of the organic technology could be seen. There were ropes on the perimeter of the pool and a  birthing bar that was currently floating by him as he went deeper. He grabbed it and tucked it under his arms, floating along with it. That was actually kind of nice to be off his feet. The liquiform had a very slight anesthetic effect, Keith felt a little less exhausted as he floated.

When Lance entered the pool in his shorts and t-shirt (which remained dry) the analyses quickly discarded his readings - 

_ ‘non-patient, permissioned visitor…’ _

The liquiform provided the medic names and communal post when they entered the liquiform and read through the analyses on Keith.

_ ‘contraction imminent’ _

Keith felt the liquiform solidify around him in a bracing manner. He grabbed at the liquiform as pain lashed through his pelvis and thighs. He was back in Lance’s arms as the pain went away, Lance was behind him with his arms around his chest. He wrapped his own arms over Lance’s and tried to relax. They floated together as Keith let go of the birthing bar.

“Okay?” Lance whispered.

Keith nodded.

“You are doing very well.” The second medic said in an open and warm tone. He was standing in the center of the pool, arms crossed behind his back. “Please remain in the liquiform pool. You may exit the pool upon birthing rehabilitation.”  

Keith nodded wordlessly.

_ ‘reading… calculating… human/Galra hybrid.. human expression ...accessing human databanks…’  _

The medic continued, “The liquiform will provide for your physical wellbeing.  Any non-natal contributions to the liquiform will be analyzed and dissolved upon contact. Natal related contributions will be preserved for personnel analyses.”

A completely unexpected silent fart escaped Keith as he floated along. The liquiform around him and Lance briefly turned orange though no bubbles escaped the liquid. 

“This is gonna be colorful.” he admitted in dismay. 

“Why did it do that?” Lance asked, mystified.

“No idea.” Keith said before the medics could answer. They smiled and said nothing; fine with keeping Keith’s secret.

_ ‘Earth units… 3 stage labor...9 month gestation...’ _

“Wow, I haven’t seen the word ‘months’ in years. I can barely remember how long that is.” Said Lance near Keith’s ear.

Keith thought about it, somewhat stunned at how much time had gone by. His daughter was close to pre-teen and she had never seen Earth. That was probably a hard reality for Lance considering the amount of family he left behind.

_ ‘Imminent contraction’ _

Keith felt Lance hold him firmly as the awful pain blossomed through his pelvic area. He endured it quietly and tried to focus on breathing. It was stronger yet and longer than the previous. When it was over, he was left feeling nauseous and tried to warn Lance but vomited into the pool instead, immediately putting the liquiform to the test. It captured his ‘contribution’ and quickly dissolved it. 

The second medic gently gripped Keith by the arm and splashed the liquiform over Keith’s chest which caught the remaining sick that had landed there. Thankfully the liquiform dissolved it as well, taking the smell along with it.

_ ‘current status: 1st stage labor/ transition phase (12 hour duration/ 12 minutes to second stage..)’   _

He glanced at the readings and tried to distract himself from the sick feeling as his eyes fluttered closed again. “It’s using Earth hours too. And minutes...”

He felt Lance smile against his shoulder. “Wonder how far it goes.  Seconds. Milliseconds maybe.”

_ ‘cervix contact required’ _

Lance read that reading out loud. Uh oh. What did that mean. Keith watched nervously as the second medic read the analyses. 

“The liquiform must enter your birth canal, Keith. I will assist.” The medic stood by his side, facing the same direction as Keith and hooked his hand under Keith’s knee, spreading him.

“Please hold your other knee in this fashion.”

“I don’t like this.” Lance said immediately as Keith complied.

“You think I love it?” He made a face as the medic unerringly pressed his fingers directly on his slit entrance and spread his folds widely apart, increasing the weird feeling of liquiform rushing inside him.

_ ‘cervix 8.20 cm dilation, 78 second contraction / 4 minute rest… ‘ _

“Very good. You may relax.” The medic encouraged quietly and eased Keith’s knee back down. “Try to rest if you can.”

Keith swallowed and nodded, “Thanks.” He glanced back when he felt Lance’s purposeful arm movements. 

_ ‘imaging requested…’ _

Multiple curved screens materialized around them with diagnostic read-outs and images. One was a simulation of his cervix and its current dilation and another was a very real stream of his slit and ass, he pressed his thighs together but they were showing up as transparent overlays on the stream. 

“I don’t want to see that.” He said, vaguely horrified at having to witness his childbirth while going through childbirth.

“Sorry!” Lance said and he watched him toggle the display. A simplified illustrated version of his canal and baby position appeared instead.

“That one is fine.” He said, he could tolerate that one.

_ ‘recalculating second stage…’  _

Another contraction made his guts twist and his pelvis feel like it might break. Keith labored through it, sitting up and rocking back and forth without conscious thought. He pulled away from Lance when it was over and moved out in the pool unsure of what he was doing but needing to move. 

He grabbed onto some rope near the edge of the liquid and let his body roll to the side, his upper half was held snugly by the liquiform as his lower body sunk further into it. He wondered how deep the liquiform actually was as he never touched true bottom once he stepped off the wooden ramp, the liquiform simply solidified under his feet when he wanted to walk.

_ ‘contraction imminent’ _

Keith spread his upper thigh which the liquiform thankfully supported in the position. He moaned as another contraction barrelled through and fitfully tugged on the rope which helped for some reason.

He moaned in appreciation when he felt Lance’s hands on his lower back, massaging him there. 

“Thank you.”

“Everyone’s here.” Lance said quietly. “They’re with Clara. You want me to get Shiro?”

Keith frowned, suddenly worried Lance might go and growing stressed at the thought. He needed his bondmate not Shiro. He turned to look at him anxiously.

“Why would I want you to get Shiro? I don’t want anyone else here. Stay with me.”

Lance seemed terribly pleased by his reaction. He smiled and half-shrugged as he ran his hand down Keith’s side. “Dunno. Okay.”

_ ‘contraction imminent’ _

It was a powerful one that squeezed his uterus tight.

_ ‘cervix 9.2 cm dilation, 86 second contraction / 3 minute rest…recalculating.. ‘ _

Keith moaned feeling terribly unwell. He felt chilled and trembled as he rocked in an unconscious attempt to soothe himself. Gas burbled through him and he farted, uncaring about who or what was around, just needing any of the pain to go away.

_ ‘contraction imminent’ _

“Big sigh, Kitten, like we practiced.” Keith tried to focus on breathing through the agony, sighing as the contraction started then breathing light and rapid through the overlapping pain. He went from chills to hot flashes as he panted.

He suddenly wanted to push and heard the medic clearly address him, “Big breaths Keith, try not to push. Not yet. Breathe, breathe, breathe.”

As opposed to hold his breath and push his guts out like he really wanted to. Fuck, fuck, fuck.  It was awful not to push when his body was strongly urging him to do so. He had to move again, the liquiform melting away as he sank down to his feet. He looked around desperately and reached for the birthing bar.

“That bar.” He whimpered. He saw Lance lunge and retrieve the bar for him. 

Keith rested his arms over it when it reached him. The bar seemed to solidify in position as if it had been fixed there all along. Keith curled into a sitting squat, the liquid losing some of its buoyancy and firming solidly under Keith’s feet. 

_ ‘full dilation. second stage labor (16 minute duration/14 min remaining..)’ _

“You’re doing really good, Kitten!”

“Fuck you.” He said casually as the contraction hit him hard again, the urge to push was back and no one was yelling at him to not push so he pushed before anyone could change their mind. He felt horrible pressure on his rectum and felt more like he was taking the biggest shit of his life which might’ve been the case as the liquiform kept turning orange.

_ Get out get out get out get out.  _ He begged mentally. 

The contractions kept coming. Keith strained hard each time the need to push struck him. He was getting tired and didn’t think he had it in him but there was a tight circle of encouraging voices surrounding him, the medics on each side of him and Lance behind him, hands on his arms and lips to his ear telling him, “You’re doing it. You’re really close, Kitten. Just a little more.” 

He nodded miserably as he pushed hard, straining. The worst burning sensation of his life rippled through him down below. He had suffered chemical burns during the war and it was worse than that. His slit felt like it had literally burst into flames. He gritted his teeth in complete and utter agony.

“Deep breaths! No more pushing!” said the head medic.

A baby was lodged in his birthing slit and he was supposed to NOT push. Keith shook his head and tried not to scream in outrage. He knew this moment was coming but the knowledge was no help in the situation at all. His lower regions grew completely numb as he leaned listlessly against Lance.

“Water, Kitten?”

“Fuck, yes.” He panted. He wasn’t sure where the water came from but he took a grateful sip and moaned when he felt Lance’s cool hand on his neck. Another contraction hit him.

“Almost there. Don’t push, baby.” Lance said steadily. “Quiznak, it’s like twisting its way out..?!” He said in shock. Keith looked up in search of what Lance was looking at and realized the projections were still up. The baby’s head had crowned and it was definitely exiting his body. It was encouraging to see and gave him the tiniest second wind to get through the next contractions (and NOT push).

It was quiet apart from his moans and Lance encouraging him.

“Some tearing.” Said the second medic as the baby slipped out of Keith’s body.

Keith let go of the bar, completely exhausted as sudden activity occurred around him. “Quiznak.” He said in relief. He looked up at the deep blue sky just as an outraged cry ripped through the chamber and jabbed him directly in his heart and soul. His baby was immediately placed on his chest while being cleaned off and evaluated. Keith looked down at his child as the second medic wiped his sweat away and laughed happily as Lance said, “Oh my god that’s a baby.”

The baby was ridiculous. The tiniest human, all wrinkled and warm with a weirdly shaped head and buttery looking coating that was being wiped off by the medics. Keith couldn’t get the stupid grin off his face. It was an omega. His very own omega, a brother or sister for Clara right there in his arms.

_ ‘human/Galra hybrid. human expression. omega male. three kilograms. forty six point three centimeters. No adverse conditions.’ _

A boy! “Yeah, it’s a baby.” He stroked his cheek, “Hi baby.”

_ ‘onset of third stage labor (undetermined time).’ _

It was actually the best baby. Keith held the tiny bundle close as the medics wrapped both him and his newborn in blankets. The main medic was prodding at his abdomen which if he wasn’t busy loving his child he would’ve knocked her out as it was painful.

“Congratulations to the both of you.” Said the main medic, a big smile on her face. “We expect the placental delivery soon. In our culture the placenta is traditionally consumed by the sire. Do you wish to participate?”

Keith smirked; he could feel Lance practically recoil behind him.

“Would he have to eat it raw?” He inquired, always ready to troll his bondmate whether there was a new baby or not.

“We can lightly sauté or steam your placenta and serve on Kaav toast. Alternatively, we can also blend it with honeyed stink petals and serve as an invigorating drink. It is a celebratory honorable consumption.”

“Thank you. Can I think about it?”

“Of course.” The medic swiped through the readings, clinically. “We encourage you to breastfeed.”

Right. Keith nodded and looked down at his precious child. He tried to have the baby latch on as he had studied and partly remembered from the first time. Keith smiled happily when he succeeded with little and glanced at Lance who looked transported by the reality of another baby.  

“Very good. We will give you time to bond with your child and will return for placental delivery.” 

“Thanks.” They both said without looking away from their child.

“I can’t believe it.” Lance ran a finger down the baby’s arm and seemed thrilled when their son squeezed his finger tight in his tiny hand. “This wasn’t so bad.”

Keith snorted. “For you maybe. I think my ass is broken.”

Lance chuckled. The liquiform had morphed into a comfortable bed-like support for Keith. He rested comfortably, his body relaxed in a reclined sitting position. Lance floated to his side and wrapped an arm around his back, hugging him close as he tenderly petted their suckling baby who was looking up at Keith with interest. “What do we call him?”

“Not sure yet.” Keith said, smiling. “So how do you want my placenta? Toast or smoothie?”

Lance balked. “Kitten. I am super honored but I’m going to have to say  _ no _ .”

Keith frowned, “But I’ve spent all this time making you dinner.”

“Ha ha.”

Keith resettled the now sleeping baby more comfortably as he kept staring at Lance which made his bondmate go pale. “Kitten.  _ Please _ don’t make me eat your baby making leftovers.”

Keith cracked up but painful soreness rippled through him so he quickly stopped. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He said hurriedly as another, lesser contraction manifested.

“Thank you.”

“Could you hold him?” He asked of Lance just as the medics reappeared down the spiral ramp.

The placenta was coming. He grabbed the bar again and squatted just as the medics arrived in time for him to push the placenta out of his system. The main medic cut the umbilical cord close to the baby and collected the placenta.

“Have you made a decision on the placenta?”

Keith floated back, heavy exhaustion hitting him. 

“You can discard it.” He managed.

He shook and felt a tunic and soft blankets being placed on him. He thought he felt himself flowing between his legs as the medic gently spread his thighs apart and brought his immobilized bottom half up to the surface to work on the post-delivery damage. His stomach lurched in hunger but he was more tired than hungry and found himself falling asleep.

The next time he woke up, he was again in Lance’s arms. The baby was in a box-like unmoving bassinet besides them. He was starting to notice smells again and quickly took in deep breaths of his alpha’s scent and cuddled close.

“I’m hungry.” He said.

Lance began raining gentle kisses on him.

“Hunk’s upstairs with a big platter of home cooked food all ready for you.” He said. “You did fucking amazing, Kitten.” He tidied the blankets Keith was wrapped in.

Keith nodded then frowned worriedly when he noticed the liquiform was a steady dull orange around his torso. He wasn’t noticing anything down there.

“You’re bleeding out. It’s normal.” said Lance between kisses.

“Oh.”

Keith relaxed. He took in the peaceful looking creek just outside their enclosure. He was with his doting bondmate and child that he had lobbied hard for. He looked at his sleeping baby and smiled. His friends and daughter were a room away ready to greet him and make a huge deal over his new baby. He really wanted to show Clara the new baby.

Keith was at peace; perfectly happy in the moment.

Lance squeezed his hand then kissed the back of his hand.

“Ready for visitors?”

Keith nodded. “Yes, please. Bring Clara in first.”

Lance grinned at him, gaze so relaxed and loving.

So Keith kissed him.


	4. Ch 3: Earth Dates 13 - 14 Mar 2215

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith had a very undignified time with pregnancy and labor (and the world didn’t end and Lance didn’t break their bond or run away screaming.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Notes / Warnings: Unsexy and possibly mortifying bodily functions and situations you don’t want to hear about are described here in detail. :) 
> 
> Midwife term comes from old english meaning with (mid) woman (wife). I re-imagined it to be originally midmoder (moder = mother in old english) which eventually became ‘midmother’ or casually as ‘midmom/midmum’

The only way Keith managed to convince Lance to keep working during his midmother prescribed house (ar)rest was to promise to cooperate with him when Lance tried to take care of him. It wasn’t unreasonable; Lance mostly helped Keith follow through on the midmother’s guidelines which he wanted to do anyway for the sake of the baby but he was reaching a breaking point both physically and mentally. Keith’s body continued to betray him more and more intensely as his pregnancy progressed and at this point he really would prefer the sweet relief that a spontaneous death would bring.

Keith climbed onto the bed and gingerly sat down on a towel that was draped over a pillow. He fluffed additional pillows behind him so that he could prop himself comfortably then stared out at nothing, half-heartedly covering his lap with the sheets as he waited for Lance to come home.

He just got done fidgeting over the baby clothes in the nursery. Earlier, he had wasted his life being completely ridiculous for two or three hours by obsessing over a rocking chair. The rocking chair was in the worst spot in existence and he couldn’t do a thing about it because he wasn’t supposed to exert himself and move it around. All he could do was sit in it spitefully which he did a few times and might have even fallen asleep, he wasn’t sure.  

Eventually he managed to console himself by procuring a cushion from the den and using it as a placeholder for the rocking chair, kicking it to different spots in the nursery. Between the bathroom door and crib would be ideal, he decided. Once that was done, he went for the baby clothes, folding and refolding them, all the while trying not to go stir-crazy at feeling trapped in his own home.

Keith sighed as he glanced at the time. Clara was in an afterschool program and Lance wouldn’t pick Shiro up from preschool for another hour and half which gave him enough time to come home and fuss over his omega. It was better than him being at home all day torturing Keith who at this point was just a shell of his former self. The long list of grievances were long. They included a bloated body he barely recognized, constant itching in places he couldn’t reach, and red hive-like rashes on his stomach and chest.

The baby was also punching him in the lungs every single day, keeping him perpetually winded as his bump was riding high. Last time, his belly had dropped during the last two weeks but it looked like he was going to deliver this baby through his mouth. That or he was going to be pregnant for a few more weeks and deliver at 10 months. Keith settled his folded hands over top of his belly.

He heard the hum of Lance’s jetcar touchdown and closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for a little smothering. The most heinous part of the whole situation was that half his waking hours was spent trying to ignore the sorry state of his ass.  He was sure he had a record breaking case of hemorrhoids though his midmother told him otherwise. Sitz washes were a regular part of his life as his-

All his feeling sorry for himself went out a window because the baby just woke up and somersaulted inside him.

Keith smiled in giddy excitement, suddenly wide awake and alert as he ran his hand over the spot where the baby was elbowing him. He mentally added to his running tally of baby movements. There was a whole wriggling being inside him! It was a freaky and amazing experience. He rolled up his shirt, sure that he was going to witness some crazy kicks to his stomach.

Lance found him sitting cross legged on the bed, grinning down at his belly.

“Kitten? What’s up?” Lance asked, smiling too as Keith’s rare broad smiles were infectious.

“Come here.”

He tossed his Garrison uniform suit over the dresser and hurried towards Keith just as the baby had a wriggle fit.

“Whoa!” Lance did a double take, laughing in awe as he landed on the bed. “It’s trying to bust out!”

“Yes. Ow. Ow.” Keith winced quietly in amusement as he bore the painful jabbing. “Your baby is kicking me in the ribs.”

They were both grinning goofily. “It just wants to remind you it’s there.”

“That’s really hard to forget.” He placed his hand over Lance’s and moved it to where he was sure he was going to get another hard elbow. He didn’t have to wait long, the baby elbowed him hard enough to cause a sudden surging bulge from his belly.

“Oh my god. I think our baby high fived me??” Lance gushed. “I need ten more kids. Let’s have ten more! I’ll get five more jobs.”

Said the man torturing Keith even now by causing his body to generate slick which was leaking out of his birthing slit. He felt like his nether regions was always drooling. First his ass then his birthing slit as his body eventually relaxed one opening and constricted away the other. “No way, you crazy shit! I told you this was it.”

Lance chuckled. “Sorry that got away from me.” His alpha was entirely unperturbed as he rained loud eager kisses on Keith’s cheeks and lips. He suddenly pulled back and hunched over Keith’s belly, talking loudly at his bellybutton which was too ridiculous.

Keith could barely hold it together as Lance attempted a Lance-style conversation with their child.

“[Hi! You’re this direction, right? What’s your schedule like? When you coming out? I want to see you sweet baby. Take the south exit, you can’t miss it! Bring a towel.]” He was holding onto Keith’s belly as if shouting into a bullhorn.

“Get the fuck off me!” Keith cackled as Lance stuck his ear over his bellybutton as if he were awaiting a response. Unfortunately, Keith had very little control over his body and farted loudly and unexpectedly as were most of his farts as of late.

“Wait, the baby said something.”

Keith covered his face in his hands as he laughed causing another fart to escape which sounded a lot like a high-pitched slide whistle.

“It’s almost.. a bird-like tweet..”

“I fucking hate you.” Keith shoved Lance’s head away from himself.

Lance laughed as he sat back up and smiled mischievously at his bondmate. “No you don’t!”

Keith felt a quick peck to his lips and slumped back on the pillows, eyeing his alpha warily as his good humor faded back to his usual discomfort.

“You up for another intimate massage?” Lance looked like he was trying not to grin too eagerly. His obsession with Keith’s private parts remained intact, bizarrely unphased by the pregnancy changes and just generally disturbing. The midmother had told them that perineal massages were an ‘oldie but a goodie’ which she felt would be beneficial for Keith based on his bioprofile analyses and his admitted history of tearing.

“Can’t wait.”  He said dryly.

He watched Lance hop off the bed to go wash his hands and idly wondered how much of his scary looking asshole his alpha could see when he helped him out this way. At minimum, Lance would have a good view of his dick which was a leaky joke now. It stayed tucked high, small, and afraid of the weird pregnancy changes going on around it. It was also prone to horrible itchiness, Keith was worried that his rashes were heading down to his dick but he couldn’t even see that part of himself now.

At least Lance had stopped mooning over its cuteness which was probably for Keith’s sake.

The baby got him right in the ribs again. _Oof_! Keith winced. That was move number twelve.

He sighed, his body was a puffy uncontrollable mess.

Though, it didn’t stop him from letting Lance stretch him out. His bondmate returned shortly and sat down on the bed, facing him. He bent his spread legs so his feet were planted on the mattress. Keith did the same but placed his legs on the outside of Lance’s and pulled the sheets out of the way, exposing his slit to his alpha who squirted a perennial softening cream onto this hands and got to work.

There was nothing sexy about Lance gently inserting his index and middle fingers inside his birthing slit entrance and spreading him apart, stretching his opening by tugging downwards towards his ass than stretching to the sides, manually widening him. Lance looked fascinated, probably enjoying any chance he got to mess around with an opening that was usually an unyielding wall of muscle. His alpha was a weirdo.

Lance held the stretch and met his eyes meaningfully. It was Keith’s cue to try and stay relaxed despite the uncomfortable stretch. He opened his mouth to breathe slowly and tried not to resist the discomfort as his mind wandered. The state of his ass had to be at least somewhat visible to his bondmate, as was the sad unsexy condition of his dick, and the water retention of his puffy limbs was obvious. Keith felt like the opposite of a sexual being.

He burped and then thought he might’ve farted silently causing some slick to rush out which felt mostly messy and unappealing.

“How could you want to fuck me?” Keith wondered, unhappily, “All I do is fart, burp and shit.”

Lance smiled and shrugged, actually answering thoughtfully, “You’re kind of suffering for our baby and all vulnerable. It makes me want to take care of you but I want to fuck you hard too? You’re mine and hot, I don’t know.”

“Ugh.” At the moment, the idea of sex was the worst.

Keith watched as his alpha’s eyes wandered back down to Keith’s birthing entrance as if he couldn’t help himself. He snorted. “You just want to shove your dick in my slit.”

“I really fucking do! It’s so weird! I can see straight into your puss!” Now that the subject was out in the open, Lance blatantly ogled his entrance as if he was expecting to find a secret garden in there. He was still gently stretching him out.

“It’s weird therefore you must fuck it?” asked Keith dryly.

“Well yeah!” Lance glanced at the time and eased his fingers out, stroking the leftover cream into his perineum. He shrugged, smiling, “But anal is-”

“Do NOT touch my ass.” Keith said in alarm. “Or think about my ass. Or look directly at it.” He hesitated. “You’ll go blind.”

Lance laughed. “Poor baby.” He said sympathetically and kissed Keith’s enormous belly reverently before heading back to the bathroom to clean up.

Speaking of poop and general unsexiness..

“Datastream.” Keith prompted as he settled further back on the pillows and arranged the sheets back over his lap.

 _“Hiya Keith! What can I do for you?!”_ It answered verbally instead of making an active ping noise and it sounded like fucking Donald Duck which enraged him.

“Change your fucking search settings to the system default.” He prompted over Lance’s snickering. “How did Shiro access my personal settings?! They’re tied to my biosignature!” He asked Lance as he came back in. Then his eyes narrowed because Lance had a carefully constructed innocent expression on his face as he said, “No idea, Kitten.”

For fuck’s sake, he was going to have to modify his personal permissions and keep Lance out.

“Never fucking do that again!” Keith groused as Lance laughed and sat next to him, throwing an arm around his shoulder.

Keith burrowed into his scent even as he said, “Data, what can I do to not poop during labor?”

He was hoping maybe his doula was hiding some information and he could glean something from the datastream. He was sure he defecated last time but the liquiform pool kept things tidy and unfortunately, Earth didn’t have such a thing so now he was envisioning exploding all over everyone and everything.

_“The short answer is that you don’t. Bowel movements are a normal-”_

“Stop.” Ugh.

Lance squeezed him and chimed in, quoting Keith’s doula. “If you’re pooping you’re doing it right.”

Keith sighed. “I hate you.” It was just so miserable to feel hostage to his body when it was usually something he had complete confidence and control in. His shoulders sagged some as he further leaned into his bondmate.  

Lance kissed the top of his head. “Did you have lunch?”

Kind of. He tried. “Yes, I had lunch.”

“What was lunch?”

Five raspberries. “Fruit.”

Lance eyed him suspiciously and slid off the bed. “I’ll fix you something.”

Keith held in a sigh. He was just not hungry. Everything gave him heartburn and eating mostly sucked.

Lance came back shortly with water, mashed avocado on toast, and a jar of plain yogurt with a heaping pile of raspberries on top. “Eat, Kitten.”

Keith sighed and dutifully took the plate for the baby’s sake. He bit into the toast and chewed mechanically.

Lance asked eventually, “Have you been able to go?”

He didn’t mean pee.

“Yeah, Lance, I’m fine.” Keith lied in exasperation.

Lance kissed him again. “Just trying to help.”

“I know.” Keith replied agreeably and busied himself with the yogurt, secretly happy that Lance seemed to have believed him.

In reality, he was constipated as fuck because trying to go while suffering the worst case of internal and external piles in the universe terrorized him. However, admitting this to his alpha meant Lance would hunt down one of his suppositories then chase him down and guilt or cajole him into using it or worse try to administer it himself.

That indignity was then swiftly followed by diarrhea because laxatives always gave him diarrhea which was agony as it passed the hemorrhoids. Which was what he had been trying to avoid in the _first place_.

He took another bite of toast. Keith was so tired of things going up his ass.

His body didn’t respond much at all to dermal or oral Earth drugs so if it didn’t come in a version that dissolved under his tongue or could be injected than it was shoved up his ass.

And if it didn’t come in a strength that took out elephants or humpback whales then it wouldn’t work on him at all. So not only was his meds mostly suppositories but they were big suppositories. His vitamins to counter the detrimental effects of his heated pregnancy went up his ass.  Hemorrhoids medication went up his ass. Laxatives up his ass. He was surprised the midmother didn’t tell him to eat via shoving a sandwich up his ass.

Every single day there was at least ten minutes of him laying on his side waiting for whatever was up his butt to dissolve into his bloodstream. It gave him time to try and block out the fresh new memory of pushing buttery capsules past the inflamed veins of his anus. He led the best fucking life.

He finished the food and sat there, dejected as another trickle of slick escaped him and dampened the towel and probably the heatguarded pillow underneath. Lance tucked him in close, he felt his bondmate’s cheek over top of his head.

“I gotta pick up the kids. Anything I can do before I go, Kitten?”

 _You can get this baby out of me and shoot me dead._ Keith nodded, “Yeah, in the nursery move the rocking chair where I left the cushion on the floor. It should be at a 45 degree angle from the door.”

Lance didn’t bat an eye. “Okay. Try to stay off your feet.”

Keith nodded and watched him go. He fidgeted and tried not to think about the rocking chair.

\----

 _Later_.

It was two or three in the morning when the contractions started.

Keith felt terrible, his stomach twisting and turning woke him up. He felt himself salivating hotly and sat up as sickly cramps burbled through his stomach overtop the intense lower backache. He felt painful gas escape him, the putrid smell suffocating and then realized the prolonged fart almost felt semi-solid which made him gasp and try desperately to hold it in as it probably was diarrhea. His body quivered as he resisted. He really didn’t want to wake Lance via shitting on their bed.

It subsided enough for him to try and reach the bathroom. Keith got up, distantly noting that he could breathe a lot easier than before and realized his baby bump had dropped down significantly. He made it halfway towards the bathroom before a hot twinge made his guts curdle. There was no stopping it this time, he whimpered as he soiled himself, unable to move and desperately reaching out for something to support himself.

A table lamp clicked on and a hand gripped his own as an arm wound around his back, suddenly. “It’s okay.” Lance whispered, voice thick from sleep. He pulled Keith’s soiled pajamas off and helped him reach the bathroom, hurriedly wiping him down enough so he could sit on the toilet and then placing the trashcan within reach.

He briefly kneeled in front of Keith and patted the trashcan as he said,  “If you need to puke.” He scrubbed the sleep off his eyes and said groggily, “Call me if you need me.”

Keith nodded, face scrunched in a wince, ”Okay.”

He managed to hold it together just long enough for Lance to close the door behind him. His guts curled several more times causing him to defecate painfully each time. He held in the whimpering as best he could at the raw open cut feeling as he didn’t want to worry Lance. When he at last felt a little better, he had the strangest sensation, like a big chunk of something slipping right out of his birth canal.

He wiped and came away with a big gelatinous glob. He knew it must be his mucus plug which he hadn’t noticed or felt with Shiro (he didn’t remember the labor for Clara very well). This time it looked like the whole thing had come out all at once. Keith made a face as he dumped the paper in the toilet and flushed.

When he came back out he found Lance sitting in a recliner they had in the bedroom, dozing off as a fresh pair of pajamas for Keith was sliding off his lap. Keith’s soiled pajama pants were gone; Lance must’ve started a wash. Keith felt another strong cramp and stiffened as it took his breath away. He couldn’t do anything but bear it and thought he was going to have another poop mess on his hands but it didn’t happen.

This pain then subsided and he breathed. This felt like real labor except much faster than the last time. It’s like he skipped a few steps. He just knew this was it. Keith went back to the bathroom to retrieve something comfortable to wear and mentally ran through his baby checklist. He didn’t have a band indicating where he was exactly with labor but he had a hunch that he needed to go in very soon.

He waddled back to Lance and shook him gently by the shoulder until he woke up and met his eyes, growing alert and a little worried looking.

“I think it’s time. I’m gonna take a quick shower.” And hopefully check in on Clara and Shiro before he had to go.

Lance swallowed nervously, looking him over. “Okay.”

“I’m just fine.” Keith said reassuringly and smiled tiredly, “Just working on evicting one baby from my personal space”

Lance huffed in amusement and nodded, “Okay. I’m calling Luisa and the birth center.”

Keith squeezed his hand then made his way back to the bathroom. “Notify the doula too.”

“Yeah.” He heard Lance reply, unhappily.

There were less alphas in the doula business since the pheromone factor had a real effect on their making a living (a willing omega wouldn’t hire an alpha that’s scent was incompatible and therefore uncomfortable) but Keith went with one because he was well reviewed and his scent was compatible to him. It wasn’t as comforting as Lance’s but his scent greatly put him at ease which was a big benefit of a compatible alpha doula. Naturally, Lance hated his guts.

Keith smiled to himself in amusement as he went to get ready.

\---

The doula met them at the birth center where they were admitted. Once Keith was triaged, they were ushered to his delivery room which looked like a cozy bedroom with a plexiglass jacuzzi style tub by one side whose tub walls were set to frosted but could be made transparent and a large modular birthing couch in the center of the room containing a recessed section that had a kneeling mat.

The room was dimmed and was covered in a wall to ceiling panoramic dawn image of a Cuban national park which came to life as if streaming live once they stepped in. There was a bathroom and a small alcove with a refrigerator and reheater panel and a large recliner bed that had the outline of a sound fence and could be sectioned off with a curtain.

“This is very different.” said Keith as he waddled through the room.

“Yeah.” Lance was walking alongside, eyeing the doula who was settling their things in the room and setting up all the data settings / communications they had agreed to previously. The doula began helping Keith into a patient gown when a new nurse, a beta, came in and thankfully distracted Lance from his hostile glare.

“Hi Keith! My name is Lorencio, I’m your delivery nurse-”

“Great.” Keith said hurriedly as he squared his shoulders and tried not to rip the rippable looking wireless sensors they had stuck around his belly. He was in a rush to retell his story as he was sure the next contraction was incoming.

“I’ve been shitting myself. Uncontrollably. I gave up on pants, his jetcar is a mess, his sister is traumatized and this is my spare shirt.” He confessed with a desperate _help me_ look on his face but he continued, “Dermal hyposprays don’t work on me, sublingual or injections kind of do..” He couldn’t bear bringing up suppositories. “And my pregnancies are heated. This is my third one.” He hissed the last bit as his uterus constricted painfully.

And he was done talking, because he had to slap a hand on the wall and bear the pain. The world went away as the awful cramping forced all of his attention inward. The contractions were ramping up.

When he came back, he found himself in Lance’ arms. He noticed that a few status screens were up which included text stating _gravida 3 para 2_ along with his contractions stats and baby vitals. He listened numbly as Lance smoothly answered the nurse’s questions on his pregnancy history. It was odd that their off planet records were inaccessible though stating that they had been living on the Enceladus moon explained a lot of the gaps in their records as data from refugees of that moon was often incomplete.

The contractions were unrelenting, another one hit him. This was way way faster than before. It was the worst kind pain and pressure and he couldn’t be sure if he had another bowel accident. He noticed Lance’s arms again when the pain began to subside. “Mmmrgh did I shit myself?” He asked before the smell caught up with his nose.

“Not at all. It’s nothing to worry about.” said the doula at the same time that Lance answered,“Oh its a fucking nightmare down there.” The response was said so casually that Keith snorted in amusement despite his stress. He rested heavily on Lance, closing his eyes and breathing while someone cleaned him up.

“Keith.” Said the nurse. “It looks like your progressing rapidly which is perfectly normal for multibirth omegas. I’m going to apply a smartcream to your cervix - it’s a biotech that helps the sensors detect both your dilation and the baby position in real time. It might be a little cold and itchy but it won’t hurt you or the baby and it’ll dissolve on its own. Any questions?”

Keith shook his head just as another nurse moved the ottomon looking piece of the birthing couch next to him. His doula and the nurse helped him sit on it as he leaned back on Lance who cradled his upper body. The doula and nurse each helped him keep his legs up and apart so that the delivery nurse could apply the cream.

It was somewhat cold which was quickly followed by an extreme tickling sensation in a very weird place.

“It’s a little itchy!” Said the delivery nurse sympathetically. Fucking understatement. The nurse and doula kept his legs apart as he instinctively wanted to slam his thighs together and wriggle. “It needs to bind -  ten seconds!” He distracted him with, “The good news is this will keep a whole lot of nurse fingers away from your birth canal!”

Keith didn’t have time to appreciate that because another contraction struck. He grimaced as his focus went inward again. The pressure and pain was intense. He wasn’t sure how much time had past since he came back around and became aware of himself and surroundings again.

“Lance…” He said anxiously.

“I’m here baby.” Lance’s arms were still around him, holding him.

Keith relaxed and relaxed further as the doula wiped his sweat. He had been cleaning him up throughout and pressed a cool damp towel on his butt; that was such a glorious feeling for his burned out hole, “Oh fuck more.” He said in incoherent relief.

Inexplicably, Lance misunderstood entirely as he said in delight, “More babies?”

Maybe he was joking but the sudden anger over him saying that while Keith was perpetually losing all of his guts right there in front of him was biting and sharp.

“I will fucking kill you.” Keith promised as he sat up and yanked his arm away from Lance. He looked around, suddenly remembering the smartcream but it looked like the nurses were done and the status screen now had his cervix readings (8.75 dilation).

”Okay Kitten. Do you want to try walking for a little bit?”

He nodded.  He needed to move.

Keith was so uncomfortable as he stood up. He mindlessly headed to the birthing couch choosing to cut his walk short by climbing on top of it on his hands and knees instead. He found himself rocking back and forth and flexing side to side.

“Mmrrghh” He moved fitfully. Nothing was feeling right. He sat up and rested his arms over the ottoman that Lance had placed on top of the couch in front of him and sighed as the doula massaged his lower back. He could smell Lance’s scent growing acrid and looked up at him, seeing him passively watching the doula’s actions. An instinctive pleading whine drew Lance’s full attention back to him, tripping his bondmade’s own need to comfort his omega.

“I’m here, Kitten. You want some pillows?” He said as he ran his hand through Keith’s hair.

Keith shifted restlessly. “No. Yes. I need..”

He didn’t know what he needed but he felt like laying down so he moved slowly back onto his hands and knees then rolled onto his side. Lance arranged several large pillows around Keith, tucking one under his head and hurriedly snatching one away from the doula before he could grab it and placing it between Keith’s legs. Keith relaxed as best he could, quickly dozing off as he got a brief break from the aches weighing him down.

Another contraction slammed through him, he curled into himself as he moaned. The pain and pressure was crippling, he couldn’t do anything but endure. It resided momentarily but there was no real respite, this baby was coming. He sat up with some help and frowned up at Lance as he smoothed his hair back.

I can’t- I’m not comfortable. Help me up.” He needed to keep moving.

“Some moms like the lap squat.” Said the doula, his baritone soothing and pleasant.  “It lets you stay in your partner’s arms and close to your partner’s scent, would you like to try that?”  

“Yes.” He nodded, desperate to feel some kind of comfort.

The doula adjusted the birthing couch. He said kindly to Lance, “Have a seat, daddy. You’re going to help him straddle your lap, facing you.”

The doula hung onto Keith as Lance sat down as directed. He helped Keith straddle Lance’s lap. It felt intimate - Keith could smell Lance and felt himself relaxing at being held in Lance’s arms. He stretched his arms out past Lance’s shoulders so his hands rested on the seater piece the doula had placed there.

“You’re doing so good.” Lance said quietly near his ear.

“It fucking hurts.” Keith relented, knowing he was being weak for whining.

“I know baby, rest while you can.” said Lance soothingly just as Keith was hit by a strong wave of nausea. He hated this part. His stomach curled as he flung his hand to his mouth and tried to at least vomit away from Lance. The doula was there in time with a lined receptacle in hand.

“Sorry.” He was so disgusted. He wasn’t sure how their relationship could ever recover from the awful mess he had become in front of his alpha. He was supremely uncomfortable with how out of his control his body was. How could Lance not just associate shit and vomit with Keith each time he looked at him moving forward?

“ _I’m_ sorry. I’m the asshole that keeps wanting you to go through this. Do whatever you need to do Kitten.”

Keith nodded thankfully.

“I just wish it wasn’t so hard on you.” Lance confessed quietly as the doula spoke up again to continue his explanation.

“Lance, when Keith has a contraction spread your legs apart and hang on to him.”

Keith felt Lance nod. He understood too - his own legs would spread as a consequence and his knees would remain hooked over Lance’s thighs as his body bore down between Lance’s legs in an assisted squat. The doula went around them and leaned on the seater pieces from the opposite side and patted Keith’s arms. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”

Then he smiled knowingly as Lance’s shoulders stiffened. “Lance, do you need me to back off between contractions?”

Lance sounded extremely relieved as he burst, “Quiznak _yes_. I know you’re helping and it’s your job and you’re great but you’re really pissing me off and I would really appreciate it if you fuck off whenever you can.” He hesitated, then made up his mind. “Yeah. Fuck off. Sorry. Please fuck off...Sorry. Not sorry. Sorry.”

“Not a problem.” Laughed the doula as the nearby nurses who were monitoring Keith’s readings, chuckled.

Keith would’ve snorted but he felt a horribly familiar twinge, he stiffened, “I’m about to shit myself again.” He said in dismay, flushing. His body never gave him a chance to reach a toilet. Why were his deliveries so shit-centric?! What food could he possibly have left in his system???

“Okay. That’s okay Kitten. Get it out of your system.” Encouraged Lance like the trooper that he was.

The doula placed additional disposable underpads on the kneeling mat as Lance spread his legs out of the way.

“I - _ohthatscoming_!”

Not much but they were all gasping for air when he was done. It didn’t matter at all to Keith as he was at the start of a powerful contraction. His face scrunched up tight as his belly hardened, it felt like he was carrying a boulder that got bigger and bigger inside. He cried out as he endured the intense pain and pressure which was immediately overlapped by another contraction.  

Maybe someone said,“You’re at 10 centimeters. Your midmother is on her way.”

Keith was panicking, this wasn’t like last time. This baby was on its way _out_. He felt the irresistible need to push and did so.  

“Ff- catch!” He wheezed desperately as the pain turned white hot.

“He’s crowning!” Someone yelped.

He had the urge to push at the very start of the next contraction. Keith groaned loudly then took a deep breath the way Lance was doing instructively. He did a big extended push and another on the next contractions. His whole body shook in exertion and he was drenched in sweat as he pushed steadily.

“Good job, Kitten! You’re doing great!”

It seemed impossible to push what felt like a watermelon sized bowel movement out of his system. He cried out as he pushed, possibly breaking Lance’s arms with his grip.  It was like his body was going to explode but the labor turned out to be short-lived as very suddenly his baby slipped out of his body.

His child was caught by the midmother who had made it right on time.

Keith took a big deep breath in relief and collapsed on Lance. _God_. Did he have a lower half left? He panted as he felt Lance hug him close and peer over his shoulders.

“Kitten! Oh my god!” Lance said in a hushed stunned voice. “Kitten, an omega I think. Yeah.”

He could hear the big smile and emotion in Lance’s voice and smiled himself then laughed out of sheer joy as he leaned back, supported by Lance’s arms and the doula behind him as the delivery nurse settled the most perfect baby to have ever been crapped out on his chest. He grinned, his physical suffering taking a hard backseat to the euphoric sense of giddiness and joy at seeing and touching his new baby for the very first time. He and Lance ran their fingers over the baby’s soft skin while the nurses cleaned the baby and attached a wireless sensor bracelet.  

“Oh my god.” said Lance in wonder.

The midmother smiled at Keith and Lance as she did a few visual checks on their newborn, stating, “Congratulations! The baby looks very good.”

“Thank you.” They both said without looking away from their child.

She clamped the umbilical cord as soon as it stopped beating. “Would you like to do the honors, Lance?” She offered her scissors.

“Uhh…” He actually looked squeamish.

All the gross things he’s been dealing with for months and he can’t handle cutting the cord? Keith laughed loudly, hurting himself a bit as his bondmate said, “No thanks.”

“I can’t believe you.”

“Kitten. It had a _pulse_.”

“Not a problem!” The midmother cut  the cord and pressed a gendering test strip on the cord before handing it to the delivery nurse for analyses. She pulled a projected readout and announced shortly, “It’s an omega boy!”

Keith and Lance grinned at each other before looking back down at their baby. He hadn’t cried yet, just serenely settling in Keith’s arms smacking his lips. He was pink and wet and wrinkled and looked 100%  human with no obvious Galra features. Keith sighed in relief. Fantastic. His stealthy Galra genes had yet to let him down.

Keith smiled warmly at Lance who ran a finger over the baby’s tiny arm, completely transfixed.

“What’s his name?”

Lance looked up in surprise, flushing in pleasure at the question.

“I thought you wanted to name him Tron no matter what gender?”

Keith laughed, he forgot about that.

“You know in honor of Voltron?”

Keith just kept grinning in amusement.

“Really.” Lance said dryly, “You served that up straight for like the whole nine months.  We had a fight about it?!”

Keith shrugged. “It was funny.”

Lance stared at him, reluctantly impressed.  “You’re a beautiful dickhead. Anyway.” He flushed red again in happiness. “Saul’s a family name.”

“Sah-ool? Is that Saul?”

“Yep.”

The midmother addressed them, smiling. “Now would be the perfect time to start breastfeeding, Keith, like we discussed. Let’s get you situated more securely.”

They all helped him move from Lance’s lap to the birthing couch where they had secured a backrest. He had little trouble getting Saul to latch on who eyed his chin and mouth while he suckled as if fascinated. Keith watched back just as enthralled.

He could only hope he could give his precious Saul the best in life. Lance spent the next ten minutes capturing stills and alerting family and friends on the baby delivery via social media.

Keith warned, “I love your family but I really don’t want 50 people here.”

“I’m on it. Everyone is still asleep anyway. I asked Luisa to let Clara and Shiro sleep. They’ll come in a little later.”

Keith nodded and placed a tired hand over Lance’s arm when he caught the sudden rise of acridness to his scent in response to the doula sitting down beside Keith.

“I’m sorry, Lance. This must be uncomfortable for you. I’m going to give you some very quick information and educational material, answer any questions you may have for today and once Keith delivers the afterbirth I’m out of your hair, I promise.” Said the doula.

Keith added, “He’s been really helpful the last few months and I like him. And I don’t like people.”

Lance mellowed out pretty quickly and shrugged at the doula. “No problem. Do your thing.” He was clearly not thrilled but he dealt with it as the doula discussed the next few steps and gave them some tips on introducing the baby to their kids and helping them acclimate overall.

“[I knew all that.]” said Lance under his breath once the doula was done and stepped away to give them space.  The doula was Haitian and didn’t speak Spanish.

Keith rolled his eyes. “[Of course. You’re the alpha-est alpha to ever alpha and you can out doula the doula any day. Does that help?]”

“[A little.]”

“Great.” A strong contraction seized Keith. He winced as he offered Saul to Lance. “Hold him.”

Five minutes later, he was squatting on the recessed bit of the couch over the kneeling mat, delivering the afterbirth. Afterwards, his body trembled uncontrollably as the nurses wrapped him up in blankets and helped him back onto the bed. The ill feeling wasn’t enough to stop him from gesturing at the rough looking afterbirth and asking the nurse, “Can you fry that up? It’s my bondmate’s favorite dish.”

He smirked when he heard Lance snort behind him even as he curled into one of the warm blankets and settled back. The midmother and delivery nurse busied themselves with him down below. Keith watched Lance rock their baby as the exhaustion began to catch up with him.

The good news was that he managed not to have any tearing this time around. Finally, the nurse cleaned him off and helped him into a pair of sanitary absorbent underwear and told him he could rest and eat whenever he wanted.

He looked at Lance again who was in his usual new dad world gently rocking the baby, completely engrossed. That was fine, Keith was exhausted and he had the rest of his life to love on his child. He closed his eyes. In the meantime, he could settle in and contemplate the meaning of the word dignity as he bled into his enormous mesh underpants. He was at the bottom of the dignity barrel here. It was freeing in a way.

His stomach rumbled. His thoughts turned to contemplate a delicious pork sandwich. He might’ve mumbled something about it (“Lechon…”) but he fell asleep mid thought like some kind of narcoleptic.

The next time he woke up, he was alone with Lance and Saul. The national park image surrounding them had progressed from dawn to mid-morning. He looked around then smiled softly as he watched Lance quietly watch Saul who was in a warm incubator just to the side of the birthing couch. His alpha was laying on his stomach next to him, a projected screen pushed to the side and long forgotten as his gaze stayed fixated on their son.

Keith ran his hand over his arm to get his attention.

“Where is everyone?”

Lance turned and smiled, kissing him. “Just outside, I wanted to make sure it was okay with you to bring them in”

Keith nodded tiredly. “Clara and Shiro first.”

Lance kept smiling and glanced down his body then back up. “Also, I thought maybe you didn’t want to be holding your dick when they came in.” He said, mildly.

Huh? Oh, Keith had his hand down his underpants and was definitely holding his dick. It was sore, like the rest of his abused nether regions.

“Oh.” He took his hand away as Lance snickered.

“You ready?!” Lance grinned.

Keith smiled back. “Ready.”

He watched Lance send a message to his sister. A minute later, he could hear Clara talking excitedly and Shiro asking Luisa questions as she ushered them towards their room.

Keith flushed in happiness, his heartbeat quickening as the door opened. How exciting it was to introduce this brand new addition to the rest of his very own family.

He smiled joyfully, letting Lance squeeze his hand as his kids ran in.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

 

 

 

 

\---

_Bonus excerpt: One day later..._

Keith waited impatiently for one of the nurses to come in. As soon as one did he asked bluntly, “Can we go?”

He would prefer to go home as soon as possible.

“Have you farted?” The nurse asked.

Keith stared in dismay. Was that a requirement for leaving the birth center?? He had a diarrhea-intensive labor, vomited at least once and finally crapped out a baby and its bloody mutant accessory - he didn’t have anything left!

“I h-” Another giant chunk of who the fuck knows what just passed out of his birthing slit. “..haven’t.” He choked. Maybe it was one of his kidneys.

“That’s okay! We’ll see about releasing you soon but we’re going to need you to fart before we can let you go, okay?”

“Uh huh.” Change of plans. He was going to have to live there. He was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be able to fart for at least five years. Hopefully his children and alpha will visit him.

Lance who had just ushered everyone out again so Keith could get some rest, smiled sympathetically, “So... want me to fix you a plate of black beans and rice? We have leftovers. I can get Emily to bring you a fruta bomba milkshake?”

Keith nodded miserably. At least that all sounded delicious. At least he had an appetite again.

Hopefully his adventures with diarrhea was over for a while.  Instead, he had to look forward to his first bowel movement after giving birth. He swallowed hard. He did not want to think about it.

“Extra beans, please.”

“Sure baby.”

 _Ugh_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to those that go through childbirth as you are some BAMFs and kudos to parents overall! Also I have a few short bits that I will add to this Blessed Events story. A little more soon. :)

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Comments inspire me. ;)


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